Editor's Pick: Honey Ridge Farms

In this community, more often than not I find myself in the midst of storytellers—tellers of tales of family businesses, of ingredients rich in history, of core values unwavering in effect.

It’s why this specialty food industry is so special. Generationally passed down recipe boxes and, in the case of Honey Ridge Farms, beekeeping skills have crafted the gourmet company that we see today.

For the family at the Prairie, Washington based farm, which was founded in 2004 by Leeanne Goetz, it’s all about the bees. Her oldest son, Ryan, is fifth-generation beekeeper and worked alongside his grandfather Edmund Varney. Today, Ryan is caretaker to 4000 colonies that pollinate a variety of crops throughout Oregon, Washington, Idaho and California.

So what’s one to expect from a family business, Honey Ridge Farms, who so cares for the hive health and quality of the bees they keep? I’d say award winning honeys—and that’s what I got.

Although they offer a wide selection of honey crèmes and honey-based vinaigrettes, the Balsamic Honey Vinegar truly stole the show for me. It’s a delicious aged balsamic-style vinegar made entirely from honey that adds incredible dimension to the simplest of ingredients... salads especially. It was a 2008 sofi Silver Award Winner for Outstanding Vinegar and most recently, the 2015 Good Food Award Winner.

It has a mellow and delicate sweetness, so I mixed it with some Dijon mustard, olive oil and hazelnut oil for a dressing that I thought would pair perfectly with pears and pecans. Gouda too. I tossed everything very simply in a salad bowl, and the light summer salad married deliciously with my dinner. And because it’s 100 percent honey, the aroma is incredible. Try it for yourself! 

Editor’s Pick: Athens Mini Fillo Shells

It’s no secret I love to make appetizers. If my friends are throwing a party, they require me to bring food—not wine—because they like to sample what I make. For the most recent housewarming I attended, I made Apple Goat Cheese and Pesto Mini Shells utilizing a few simple ingredients and Athens Mini Fillo Shells.

These bite size treats were the perfect combination of sweet and savory. Athens Mini Fillo Shells really did the trick, containing all of the ingredients and maintaining its crunch, rather getting soggy. The flavors and textures really played well off of one another. The light, flakey layers of fillo are freshly baked before frozen, so they taste like I made them for scratch.

To see the recipe I used to make them, check out this website.

Editor's Pick: Grounds & Hounds Coffee Co

Fair trade organic coffee is one thing. Fair trade organic coffee that donates 20 percent of its proceeds to no kill animal rescue organizations is another. That's what dog-lover and coffee enthusiast Jordan Karcher had in mind when he launched Grounds & Hounds Coffee Co.
Stumbling upon a dog adoption event in Santa Monica in 2012, Karcher left with a new best friend that day. It was then that he established a goal of helping save homeless dogs everywhere. With his company, he's able to bring something to the masses that's also able to influence the mission. For each bag sold, 20 percent of its proceeds are donated to no kill rescue organizations that provide safe-havens for dogs who don't have a home.
A fan of breakfast blend coffees, I tried the Morning Walk Breakfast Blend yesterday. The medium blend features beans from Guatemala, Peru and Sumatra and has a slight cocoa flavor with citrus notes. Sold in 6-ounce bags, additional flavors include Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, Columbian, Peru, Mexican Chiapas, Papua New Guinea, Alpha Blend and Paper & Slipper Blend.

Editor's Pick: Cobram Estates

The very first extra virgin olive oil from the 2015 harvest. Now that's something to live up to.

Hand-selected olives from the company's favorite varietals, Hojiblanca, Picual and Coratina, were all picked in mid-March for Cobram Estates' 2015 Ultra Premium First Harvest.

For me, my extra virgin olive oil selections sit on a pedestal in the kitchen. They play a major role in my cooking, and belittling a meal with a refined oil with very little flavor, aroma or color seems an amateur mistake.

This vibrant green oil is incredibly clean leaving a crisp palate of intense and pretty complex flavors. Freshly cut grass, green apples, tomato vines and even tropical fruits can be picked up in its aroms to deliver a super fruity and flavorsome taste. There's a medium level of bitterness here, and it's rich in the goodness you'd expect from great olive oil.

To explore the entire Cobram Estate Australian extra virgin olive oils, be sure to check out their site.

Editor’s Pick: Avocare Chipotle Avocado Oil

Avocare’s Chipotle Avocado Oil does not disappoint the taste buds. Avocado oil’s natural flavor, smooth texture and 480-degree smoke point make it the perfect tool to use for dishes.

As a spice lover, I naturally gravitated toward trying the chipotle flavor and instantly became a fan of it, trying it with numerous foods I had on hand. For a spicy twist to butternut squash filled ravioli, boil the noodles like normal, toss Avocare’s Chipotle Avocado Oil in it after draining and add some crumpled bleu cheese to the top. For a quick and easy afternoon snack, drizzle Chipotle Avocado Oil on whole wheat crackers.  Perhaps my favorite dish that I made with the Chipotle Avocado Oil was sweet potato fries. I sliced sweet potatoes, tossed them in the oil and let them sit overnight. The following evening, I added just a tad more of the oil and popped them in a 450-degree oven for about 30 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Avocare’s Chipotle Avocado Oil is so versatile, it is a great product for your customers to buy.