A taste of summer can be as close as the windowsill all year round with Kitchen Pick pea shoots, the first in a series of six new items available from Maple Ridge, B.C. greenhouse grower Steve Pelton.
Kitchen Pick’s fresh line of fresh living herbs is expanding to include pea shoots, daikon radish shoots, wild arugula, spicy mikro mix, lemon balm and chervil, which will begin shipping throughout this spring.
“Every meal can be greatly enhanced with herbs like our living pea shoots which add a unique flavor,” said Pelton. “That’s why the success of our living herb program — which consists of basil, parsley, cilantro, spearmint, sage, thyme, oregano and rosemary 12 months of the year — is growing. Busy moms are looking for easy and fresh items to enhance their meals. It needs to taste great, be easy to use and be good for you too. Kitchen Pick Living Herbs are the answer.”
Pelton explained that the new pea shoots are comprised of very young shoots and leaves which deliver an intense, fresh-pea taste, ideally suited as an everyday addition to flavour a salad. They are very versatile, and can be used to top dress steak, tune up sandwiches, and are excellent eaten on their own as a delicious snack, he said.
All Kitchen Pick Living Herbs are grown in a protected greenhouse environment using biological insects to fend off pests. The growing process entails a high degree of automation and state-of-the-art computer monitoring systems such that the only point the plants are handled is during the inspection process at shipping time.
“We source seeds from around the world and test them under our northern climate for yield, quality and especially taste,” Pelton said. “Varieties are constantly evaluated and only the best make it in to our production. Individually packed in plastic sleeves, the plants stay fresh and flavorful as they continue to grow after purchase.”
Kitchen Pick Living Herbs are marketed exclusively by The Oppenheimer Group, whose international headquarters are located just a few kilometers down the road from where the shoots, salads and herbs are grown.
“We are looking forward to bringing these innovative new items to our customers this season along with the popular, established Kitchen Pick herbs,” said Aaron Quon, the company’s greenhouse category director. “We’re confident they will spark the shopper’s imagination at retail, prompting them to grow their own greenery and bring exciting new flavor to dishes of all kinds.”
Oppenheimer and Kitchen Pick will focus their sales efforts on Western Canada and the U.S. Pacific Northwest. All Kitchen Pick Living Herbs are sold 15 plants to a master carton. www.kitchenpick.com
Source: The Oppenheimer Group
