Sip

HILE SIPPING on a bottle of pomegranate Squeezed Juice, I’m taken by the overwhelming fresh and sweet taste. It’s thirstquenching and satisfying, like downing coconut water to rehydrate during or after a long hike.

Unlike other juices made with concentrate, Squeezed Juice is freshly pressed, so it doesn’t leave you feeling bogged down with the bad stuff. It’s made of 100 percent non-GMO California grown pomegranates and mandarins, crammed full of the natural antioxidants, minerals, and nutrients that the fruit provides and nothing more. It’s like picking and squeezing it right off the tree. But Squeezed Juice tastes even better than that because there’s no tartness, no seeds, no pulp, just straight delectable juice.

Headquartered in Fresno, Squeezed Juice is the new line of its parent Trinity Fruit Company, a fresh fruit grower, packer and shipper. For close to 25 years the company has been sending its fruit all over the country to sell in retail stores. Its pomegranates, pomegranate seeds and stone fruit also go to Mexico and Canada.

The Squeezed Juice line was created about a year and a half ago as a way to repurpose imperfect fruit, giving it new life and not adding to the massive food loss statistic by throwing “ugly” edibles away. The company realized that a juice product has a longer shelf life (about 60 days) and could be a way to get people delicious healthy food without aEnjoy The Squeezed Juice from Fresno compromising quality. The Squeezed Juice brand is part of Trinity’s zero-waste initiative, keeping perfectly good-tasting fruit with a lessthan-perfect mask out of landfills.

“Not every piece of fruit meets retail spec, which is what launched Squeezed,” says Jeri Elsasser, creative director for Trinity. 4 continued on page 17

Most juices are typically made from concentrate, which is created when fruit is boiled into a syrup, then settled and reconstructed later with water. Fresh-pressed juice means it is extracted straight from the fruit, highpressure-processing pasteurized, sent to the juicing facility, then to the bottler. Everything is kept in cold storage and refrigerated, fruit picked from the tree and reaching the store shelves in a matter of days.

When asked what makes the pomegranate Squeezed Juice taste so good, so palpable, with no tartness detected at all, Elsasser explains that removing the skins from the pomegranates and just crushing the seeds takes away the bitterness. It helps that Trinity also grows its own proprietary pomegranate variety which tends to be sweeter. The company’s proprietary pomegranate also comes into harvest about a month sooner than the Wonderful variety.

“We have 18,000 acres of fruit that we farm,” Elsasser says, which includes pomegranates, a variety of citrus (lemons, mandarins, navel oranges, blood oranges, Minneola tangelos and more), as well as stone fruit (peaches, nectarines, Asian pears, kiwi and grapes, to name a few).

Trinity Fruit grows 3,400 acres of pomegranates and out of that, 1,200 tons of them were diverted from the landfill, thanks to Squeezed Juice. There’s a mandarin version of Squeezed Juice commonly found in stores, too, which consists of a blend of mandarins (sans their peels to keep them sweet). The Satsuma and Clementine mandarins are harvested from November through May. Out of all its citrus trees, 2,875 tons of mandarins, oranges and other fruit have been averted from food loss.

Squeezed juices are sold in all Grocery Outlet stores in California, as well as all the Safeway grocers in Northern California, Vons in Central and Southern California, and Lucky supermarkets in the Bay Area. All its products are surprisingly affordable when tasting the quality of the juice and feeling its positive aftereffects.

Squeezed Juice is planning to expand. Before the end of the year, it will be introducing a new Wellness line and already has a new Power Juice, Immunity Juice and Focus Juice that recently hit the market. The Power Juice is a green juice made with matcha, spinach and jalapeno. “It’s a feel-good drink that gets you through the day,” Elsasser says, while the Immunity Juice is made with carrot, turmeric, ginger and mandarin. The Focus Juice is reddish, made with beets, cucumber, celery and guarana – a natural caffeine equivalent to a cup of coffee. All three of the new fresh pressed juices have a pomegranate base that helps balance out the flavor.

Elsasser and I agree that it’s the best pomegranate juice we’ve ever had, made even better by being grown right here in California. She adds, “I think it tastes as fresh as eating a pomegranate, which was our mission.” •

As the leaves change and the air turns crisp, there’s nothing quite as comforting as a steaming bowl of soup to warm your soul. Fall is a wonderful time to enjoy these comforting and hearty soups that feature the season’s bountiful ingredients. Here are a couple delicious fall soup ideas.

SPICY PUMPKIN SOUP : a delicious dish, perfect for the fall and winter seasons. Here’s a simple recipe for you to try:

Ingredients:

• 1 medium-sized pumpkin (about 3-4 pounds)

• 2 T olive oil

• 1 onion, chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tsp. ground cumin

• ½ tsp. ground coriander

• ½ tsp. ground cinnamon

• ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)

• 4 cups vegetable broth

• 1 can (14 ounces) coconut milk

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Fresh cilantro or parsley, for garnish (optional)

Directions: Step 1: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Step 2: Start by preparing the pumpkin. Cut it in half, scoop out the seeds and stringy bits and then cut the flesh into large chunks. You can leave the skin on; it will soften during cooking and can be easily blended later.

Step 3: Place the pumpkin chunks on a baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast the pumpkin in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the flesh is tender and slightly caramelized.

Step 4: While the pumpkin is roasting, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes until they become translucent and fragrant.

Step 5: Add the ground cumin, coriander, cinnamon and cayenne pepper to the pot, stirring to toast the spices for about 1-2 minutes.

Step 6: Once the pumpkin is done roasting, remove it from the oven and let it cool slightly. Then, scoop the roasted pumpkin flesh away from the skin and add it to the pot with the onions and spices.

Step 7: Pour in the vegetable broth and coconut milk. Stir everything together and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let it cook for about 1015 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

Step 8: Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until it’s smooth and creamy. Alternatively, you can carefully transfer the hot soup in batches to a blender and blend until smooth, then return it to the pot.

Step 9: Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. If you prefer a spicier soup, you can add more cayenne pepper at this stage.

Step 10: Simmer the soup for an additional 5 minutes to heat through.

Step 11: Serve the spicy pumpkin soup hot, garnished with fresh cilantro or parsley if desired. You can also add a drizzle of coconut milk or a sprinkle of cayenne pepper for extra flair.

MUSHROOM SOUP: a creamy soup with a variety of mushrooms, such as cremini, shiitake and button, is a great way to celebrate fall.

Instructions

Step 1: In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, garlic, celery and carrot. Sauté for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables become tender and the onion turns translucent.

Step 5: Using an immersion blender or a regular blender (in batches, if necessary), puree the soup until it’s smooth and creamy.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. (about 500g) fresh mushrooms (button, cremini or a mix), sliced

• 2 T unsalted butter

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped

• 1 carrot, finely chopped

• 4 cups (1 liter) chicken or vegetable broth

• 1 tsp. dried thyme

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream or half-and-half

• Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

Step 2: Add the sliced mushrooms to the pot. Cook for another 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms release their moisture and start to brown.

Step 3: Sprinkle the dried thyme over the mushroom mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir well to combine.

Step 4: Pour in the chicken or vegetable broth, ensuring that the mushrooms and vegetables are fully submerged. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Step 6: Return the pureed soup to the pot (if using a regular blender) and stir in the heavy cream or half-and-half. Heat the soup over low heat until it’s warmed through, but do not bring it to a boil.

Step 7: Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.

Step 8: Ladle the creamy mushroom soup into serving bowls, garnish with chopped fresh parsley if desired and serve hot.

SPICY CAJUN CORN CHOWDER: a delightful fusion of Southern comfort and fiery flavors. This creamy chowder is a bold symphony of sweet corn, smoky Cajun spices and a kick of heat that warms your soul. Perfect for those who crave a little spice in their life, it’s a hearty bowl of comfort that’s guaranteed to tantalize your taste buds and leave you craving more.

Ingredients

• 1 stick butter

• 1 lb. chicken breast, diced

• 4 T Cajun seasoning

• 1 cup sweet onions, diced

• 1 cup celery, diced

• 1 T fresh garlic, diced

• 1 cup flour

• 1 cup red potatoes, diced

• 4 cups chicken broth

• 1 cup corn kernels

• 1½ tsp. black pepper

• ½ T cumin

• 1 T fresh parsley, chopped

• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

• 6 cups heavy whipping cream

• 2 T sour cream

• Green, yellow and red peppers, julienne-slicedd

• bacon for garnish

Instructions

Step 1: In heavy-gauge soup pot (or Dutch oven), melt butter.

Step 2: Coat chicken with Cajun seasoning and cook until chicken is about 165 degrees in the center. Remove chicken from pot and cut into cubes. Set aside.

Step 3: Add onions, celery and garlic to soup pot and cook vegetables until soft.

Step 4: Slowly add flour to soup pot and cook at medium temperature, stirring continuously for 7-8 minutes (set a timer). This is the roux. Do not brown the roux.

Step 5: In a separate pan, boil the diced red potatoes until they begin to soften (al dente). Remove potatoes with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Step 6: Slowly stir chicken broth into the roux, stirring continuously to incorporate.

Step 7: Add cooked chicken, corn kernels, spices, herbs and heavy whipping cream. Bring to 180 degrees for 5 minutes.

Step 8: Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and julienne peppers. Top with bacon.

CHICKEN AND WILD RICE SOUP : a symphony of flavors and textures, where tender pieces of chicken, hearty wild rice and an array of aromatic herbs come together in a rich, creamy broth.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup wild rice blend

• 4 cups chicken broth (homemade or store-bought)

• 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded (rotisserie chicken works well)

• 2 T olive oil

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 2 carrots, peeled and diced

• 2 celery stalks, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tsp. dried thyme

• 1 tsp. dried rosemary

• ½ teaspoon dried sage

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• 1 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 2 T all-purpose flour

• Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Step 1: Cook the wild rice blend according to the package instructions. Typically, this involves simmering the rice in water or broth for 45-60 minutes, or until the rice is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid. Drain any excess liquid and set the cooked rice aside.

Step 2: In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrots and celery. Sauté for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften.

Step 3: Add the minced garlic, dried thyme, dried rosemary, dried sage, salt and pepper to the pot. Sauté for an additional 1-2 minutes until the garlic becomes fragrant.

Step 4: If you’re using mushrooms, add them to the pot and cook for another 5 minutes, or until they release their moisture and start to brown.

Step 5: Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and mushrooms, stirring to coat everything evenly. Cook for 2-3 minutes to eliminate the raw flour taste.

Step 6: Slowly pour in the chicken broth while stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.

Step 7: Add the cooked shredded chicken and the cooked wild rice to the pot. Let the soup simmer for 15-20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

Step 8: Pour in the heavy cream, stirring to combine. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes to heat through.

Step 9: Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.

Step 10: Ladle the chicken and wild rice soup into serving bowls, garnish with chopped fresh parsley if desired and serve hot.