California Almonds & Almond Growers

February 2011 National Almond Day

100 AD: The Romans showered newlyweds with almonds as a fertility charm. There are documented findings that nutmeats and dried fruits were treated as delicacies of the time, as the cultivation of these foods was not very prevalent.

# 1900 AD: By the 1870s, research and crossbreeding had developed several of today’s prominent almond varieties. By the turn of the 20th century, the almond industry was firmly established in the Sacramento and San Joaquin areas of California’s great Central Valley.
# 2000 AD: In the past 30 years, California’s almond yield has quadrupled. More than half a million acres in the lush San Joaquin and Sacramento valleys are under almond cultivation, stretching 400 miles between Bakersfield and Red Bluff, California. The modern industry of today reveals a different look at almonds. Now focused on highly advanced methods of production sorting, hulling and processing, the industry still maintains its down-to-earth goodness invoked by this simple nut.
# Today: Almonds are California's largest tree nut crop in total dollar value and acreage. They rank as the largest US specialty crop export, as well as the top agricultural export of the state of California.




Nutritional Information
Nutritional analysis per serving.
Calories 400 Fiber 4g
Fat 16g Cholesterol 80mg
Sat Fat 2g Sodium 460mg
Mono Fat 4g Calcium
Poly Fat 4.5g Magnesium
Protein Potassium
Carb Vitamin E
* total alpha-tocopherol equivalents
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Curried Chicken Salad created by: Ellie Krieger cookbook author, "So Easy:Lucious Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Week"

servings: 4
ingredients
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken breasts
(about 1 1/4 pounds)
1 cup halved red grapes
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
5 ounces mixed greens (about 5 cups lightly packed)
4 lemon wedges
4 ounces pita chips

preparation
Toast the almonds in a small dry skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and beginning to turn golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
In a large bowl, stir together the yogurt, mayonnaise, and curry powder. Fold in the chicken, grapes, and cilantro and season with salt and pepper. This salad will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To serve, put a scoop of the chicken salad on a bed of greens on a plate or in a to-go container and sprinkle with the toasted almonds. Add a lemon wedge to squeeze over the greens just before eating. Serve with pita chips, stored in a separate container, if packing.