Salad bar to showcase local grower's premium produce

You could hardly have a festival dedicated to lettuce without including salad – but what's special about the Toss It Up Arena salad bar at Yuma Lettuce Days is the quality of the produce you can put on your plate.

That's only natural, since the Toss it Up Arena sponsor is Tanimura & Antle, a producer that's renowned nationally for its Artisan Lettuce® and other premium produce, which it will supply to eager eaters fresh from its Yuma fields.

“Lettuce Days is the perfect place to showcase our best products, because people can taste things they haven't tried before, and appreciate the variety and quality,” said Diana McClean, director of marketing for Tanimura & Antle. “If they have the opportunity to sample something at Lettuce Days, they're more likely to add it to their cart when they see it in the store.”

What that means is that for a mere $2, Lettuce Days visitors can help themselves to colorful and tasty greens of many varieties, along with other toppings and produce, croutons and sunflower seeds, along with your choice of dressings. In other words, it's not your grandpa's salad bar.

Plus, this fresh and healthy treat is not just good for you, but good for the community, since salad bar proceeds benefit youth organizations whose volunteers serve up the salad – 4-H on Saturday and FFA on Sunday. Salad bar hours both days are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

New this year and also sponsored by Tanimura & Antle is the “It's A Wrap” station, where $2 will get you a scoop of deliciousness prepared by Chef Alex Trujillo and wrapped in Tanimura & Antle Artisan Romaine®. Wraps will be available from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday.

“Everybody loves wraps, and making them with lettuce cuts calories while boosting nutrition, so it's good for you and another perfect fit for us,” McClean said, adding that cooks can find recipes for wraps and a wide variety of dishes on the Tanimura & Antle website, www.taproduce.com

Tastier yet, Tanimura & Antle has an extra treat for those who enjoy the salad bar or lettuce wrap: a sample clamshell package of Tanimura & Antle's Artisan® Lettuce to take home, with petite heads of red and green oak, tango and gem lettuce packed fresh in the field to ensure peak flavor and freshness. All Tanimura & Antle produce is grown on U.S. family farms using sustainable growing practices.

“Yuma is our winter home and an important part of our company's long history,” McClean said. “Being part of Lettuce Days gives us an opportunity to meet more of our neighbors and friends here and share some of what your rich soil and winter sunshine helps us to grow for the nation. It's good marketing for us but it's also a nice way to say thank you and don't forget about us over the summer – lettuce season will return and so will we.”

Ann Walker is a writer for the Yuma Visitors Bureau. She can be reached at 376-0100 or ann@visityuma.com.