instore - January 2016 - (Page 12)

Depending on store location, the seasons do a good job in helping choose which side dishes to serve and when. fresh on the side by Bob Sims A merican consumers want fresh, hand-crafted, made-fromscratch food. Whether it comes from a restaurant or the supermarket, the fresh food trend appears to not only be holding steady, but growing more and more every year. When it comes to foodservice side dishes, the trend holds truer than ever. This want of fresh food coupled with the healthy eating and foodie movements means consumers prefer vegetables make up the bulk of their sides. It's Worth It Chef John Schmidt from the Overland Park, KS, HyVee store knows from experience that consumers prefer fresh, made-from-scratch side dishes from the supermarket. "It doesn't matter what your venue or demographic is," he says. "If we put it in a display case, if I've got 10 pounds of beautiful grilled vegetables on platters right out front that's garnished, it draws people over and they're going for that." Offering these types of side dishes will also make a positive impact on the store's bottom line "People will pay $1 to $2 more a pound for something that's made from scratch with real ingredients as opposed to a prepackaged or premade product," he adds. "There's no comparison to fresh vegetables." says. "We go with much lighter offerings in the summer. We do a lot more vegetable salads, bean salads and stuff like that." As with any retailer, Schmidt and the Overland Park HyVee store have their go-to offerings as well. Chef Schmidt says that Brussel sprouts have come back into favor with consumers over the last five to seven years, and he uses them for one of his staples. He cuts them in half and flash fries them for about a minute and a half. This caramelizes them and develops the sugar for a roasted flavor. Then he will toss them with fresh cracked pepper, sea salt and whole cloves of roasted garlic. "That one is almost timeless because it's very light and it doesn't matter what time of the year it is," he says. Mix It Up Schmidt has also begun to incorporate some of the more popular grains of the day into his side dishes. "We've done a combination salad utilizing some of the grains that are really hot like wheat berry, farro, barley or quinoa," Schmidt says. "We couple those grains with roasted vegetables." This partnership of fresh vegetables and grains creates a perfect side dish because it can be served cold, room temperature or warm. What to Serve Depending on store location, the seasons do a good job in helping to choose which side dishes to serve and when. Fall offerings tend to lean toward heavier fare. "When you get into fall, we like to use a lot of root vegetables like squashes and greens such as Swiss chard," Schmidt 12 * JANUARY 2016 * instore "With the emphasis on superfoods, all those grains are huge. Quinoa salad? I can't keep that in the case. It flies out of there," Schmidt says. "Same thing with the farro, it's been wildly popular for the last five years or so because they're loaded with fiber and protein. There's nothing bad in any of those grains."

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of instore - January 2016

instore - Jan + Feb 2016
Editor's Note - Gourmet Domination
Table of Contents
News - On Our Radar
Product Spotlight - Breads and Rolls
Product Knowledge - Fresh on the Side
Merchandising - Merchandising Madness
Comissary Insider - Insight Insider: From small scale to big time
Research and Development: Packing in the Protein
Food Safety: Ready For FSMA 2016
Vacuum Food Packaging: Choosing the Right Solution
Dips and Spreads Spotlight: Hummus Still the King
Technology: Sous Vide
Cover Story - Time to Shine
Specialty Insights - Single-Serve Cheese
Equipment & Packaging - Interest Increasing
Product Trends
Product Showcase
Ad Index

instore - January 2016