Are tinned veggies about to become the next tinned fish? Yet another commonplace supermarket shelf-stable staple has been given the gourmet upgrade.
Row 7 Seed Company, Chef Dan Barber’s culinary agriculture project to optimize the flavor and appearance of produce, announced a new product for consumers perhaps less likely to grow garleek (that’s Row 7’s properietary garlic leek hybrid) from the ground up.
Row 7 Tinned Vegetables are a new line of shelf-staple pantry produce, featuring Row 7’s vegetables with chef-designed preservation.
“Flavor doesn’t start in the kitchen, it starts with the seed,” said Barber,who is also the chef and owner of of Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York. “Most canned vegetables come from varieties bred for yield and logistics. Ours come from varieties bred for exceptional flavor, which means they shine fresh and translate beautifully in the tin. When you start with a seed bred for flavor, tinning isn’t a compromise, it’s a way to enhance what’s already there.”
Despite being non-perishable pantry items, Row 7 Tinned Vegetables will debut in the produce aisle at Whole Foods Market locations across the Northeast in late February. The placement is deliberate, designed to showcase fresh vegetables bred for flavor and harvested at peak season. Each tin is packed with premium extra virgin olive oil or a vinaigrette crafted by Chef Barber to be a second ingredient, a built-in sauce that can dress pasta, grains, or greens.
The debut CPG line includes Badger Flame Beets with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and White Balsamic Vinegar, Sweet Prince Tomatoes with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Red Wine Vinegar, and Sweet Garleek with White Balsamic Vinegar and Dijon Mustard.
“We’ve taken a thoughtful approach in developing vegetables that could deliver restaurant-quality flavor at home,” said Liz Mahler, Row 7’s Chief Operating Officer. “Our goal is to make that exceptional flavor radically more accessible, not just for special occasions, but for the reality of a weeknight when you have no plan and 15 minutes. These tins close the gap between wanting to cook well and having the time to do it.”
Row 7 Tinned Vegetables are sold for $7.99 per tin. Each variety is vegan, gluten-free, certified organic, and can be eaten straight from the tin or used to elevate a meal. Nationwide direct-to-consumer purchase is available at row7seeds.com.
Read the full article here