Dine & Cook | Alternative food journalism

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Below is the official press release:

FRESNO, Calif., June 10 -- Starting this June, baseball and grapes from California are in season at selected ballparks across North America including: Los Angeles Dodgers' Dodger Stadium, Baltimore Orioles' Camden Yards, San Francisco Giants' AT&T Park, St. Louis Cardinals' Busch Stadium and Toronto Blue Jays' Rogers Centre. To celebrate America's favorite pastime, each team will feature one of America's favorite fruits—fresh grapes from California—at its concessions, plus fans will get to enjoy a Grapes from California Day  at the stadium.

Coming in as the "designated hitter" for the program, Celebrity Chef and Food Network Star Tyler Florence will inspire fans to enjoy fresh grapes at home with delicious, fun twists on traditional ballpark fare recipe ideas including, Ballpark Dogs with Tangy Grape Relish and Super Pretzels with California Grape Cream Cheese.

"I'm pleased to be a part of a program that joins one of my favorite professional sports, baseball, and my passion for food," says Celebrity Chef and Food Network Star Tyler Florence. "Living in California myself, I appreciate the bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables available and now fans across the U.S. and even Canada will be inspired to enjoy fresh grapes from California."

This summer Tyler will attend baseball games at each of the ballparks to throw out the first pitch. Other activities occurring at each stadium include opportunities to take pictures with a bunch of grapes – the Red, Green and Blue-Black mascots – and download your photo from the Grapes from California website plus enjoy fresh grapes from California in the ballpark.

"Grapes from California are as rich in tradition as baseball," says Jim Howard, vice president of the California Table Grape Commission. "After a successful partnership with the San Francisco Giants in 2009, we are excited to see this program expand across North America and encourage more consumers to enjoy fresh grapes."

Need more reasons to put grapes in the game? A 3/4 cup serving of grapes contains just 90 calories, no sodium or cholesterol and virtually no fat. Grapes contain vitamin C and potassium and are a natural source of beneficial antioxidants. Grapes are one of the main dietary sources of resveratrol, which is found in the skins of grapes of all colors and is known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. 

Visit www.grapesfromcalifornia.com/Baseball.php for updates on the Grapes from California Days at the ballparks, recipes, photos and much more during the California grape season.

About the California Table Grape Commission

The California Table Grape Commission was created by the California legislature in 1967 to increase worldwide demand for fresh California grapes through a variety of research and promotional programs.  More information can be found at grapesfromcalifornia.com.