Unexpected Local Finds: “What Do I Do With That?”
When you think about buying local, what comes to mind? Fresh vegetables, farm-fresh eggs, maybe a jar of homemade jam?
Those are certainly part of the local food experience, but local farms and producers have so much more to offer. From ingredients you may have never thought to cook with to locally made products that can become part of your everyday routine, there is always something new to discover.
Here are a few unexpected local finds that might make you look at local food a little differently.
🍇 Grape Leaves: Not Just for the Vineyard
Anders Family Farm- Grape Leaves. VIEW ON PIEDMONT FRESH >>
Yes, grape leaves can be used for cooking!
Anders Family Farm occasionally offers grape leaves through Piedmont Fresh, giving shoppers the chance to try something that may not normally make it onto their grocery list.
Fresh grape leaves can be used to make delicious wraps and are a staple in many Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes. They can be filled with rice, vegetables, herbs, or meat and rolled into flavorful little packages.
So the next time you see grape leaves available from Anders Family Farm, don't just wonder what they're for. Think dinner!
It's a great example of how shopping locally can introduce you to ingredients that you might not normally find at your neighborhood grocery store.
💜 Lavender Simple Syrup: Make Something Delicious at Home
Muddy Creek Lavender - Lavender Simple Syrup Kit. VIEW ON PIEDMONT FRESH >>
Lavender isn't only something to admire in a garden. Muddy Creek Lavender has found a way to bring it right into your kitchen with their Lavender Simple Syrup DIY Kit.
The kit includes their naturally grown culinary lavender, a recipe, and a glass bottle to store your finished syrup. Once you make it, the syrup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
And what can you do with it? So many things! Lavender simple syrup is a wonderful addition to drinks and desserts, and Muddy Creek Lavender especially loves adding it to coffee and mixed drinks. You can also drizzle it over pancakes, use it in desserts, or get creative with your favorite recipes.
The kit makes approximately one cup of syrup, giving you an easy way to turn a locally grown ingredient into something you can enjoy at home.
It's a pretty fun reminder that buying local doesn't always mean bringing home something that's ready to eat. Sometimes, it's bringing home the ingredients and a little inspiration to make something yourself.
🧼 Lavender + Tea Tree Tallow Soap: Local Products Beyond the Kitchen
Not everything you find through Piedmont Fresh has to end up on your plate.
Muddy Creek Lavender also offers Natural Lavender and Tea Tree Tallow Soap, bringing locally made products into a completely different part of your everyday routine.
Tallow is naturally rich and moisturizing, while lavender and tea tree are popular botanical ingredients in skincare. Together, they make a simple, nourishing soap that can be a great option for people looking for more natural, locally made personal-care products.
It's another reminder that supporting local producers isn't always about what's for dinner. Sometimes it's about the everyday products you use, too.
🥚 Duck Eggs: What Do You Even Do With Those?
Duck eggs are one of those products that can make you pause for a second.
"Okay... but what do I actually do with a duck egg?"
You can absolutely use them for omelets and other egg dishes, but they're also especially good for baking. Duck eggs tend to have larger yolks and a richer, more pronounced flavor than chicken eggs, which can make them a fun ingredient for cookies, cakes, breads, and other baked goods.
They can also add extra richness to fried foods. Try using duck eggs in your next breading mixture and see if you notice the difference.
And here's the catch: duck eggs aren't necessarily available every week. That's part of the fun of shopping locally. Availability can change with the season, the farm, and what producers have available.
Heritage Harvest Farms, Blue Oyster Mushrooms. VIEW ON PIEDMONT FRESH >>
🍄 Blue Oyster Mushrooms: A Local Find You Might Not Expect
Mushrooms are already a little different from the typical produce you might expect to find at a local farm, but Heritage Harvest Farms takes it a step further with their beautiful blue oyster mushrooms.
These mushrooms have a striking blue-gray color and a delicate, savory flavor, and they're surprisingly versatile in the kitchen. You can sauté them as a simple side dish, add them to a stir-fry or soup, toss them into pasta, mix them into eggs, or add them to just about any savory dish that could use a little extra flavor.
If you've never cooked with oyster mushrooms before, don't let the name intimidate you. They're easy to work with and a fun way to try something a little different.
It's also a great reminder that local agriculture can look very different from what you might picture. You don't have to stick to tomatoes, lettuce, and squash. Sometimes your local farmers are growing something a little more unexpected.
Blue oyster mushrooms from Heritage Harvest Farms? Definitely worth trying.
🌾 Local Food Is Full of Surprises
The best part about shopping locally is that you never quite know what you'll discover.
Maybe it's an ingredient you've never cooked with before. Maybe it's a new flavor that becomes a pantry favorite. Maybe it's a handmade product you didn't realize was being produced right here in your community.
And that's exactly what makes a local food system so interesting.
Through Piedmont Fresh, the Thomasville Farmers Market, the Lexington Farmers Market, and other local producers and community partners, DCLFN helps connect people with the farmers and makers growing, raising, and creating products in the region.
So the next time you shop local, look beyond the usual suspects.
You might find grape leaves for dinner, lavender syrup for breakfast, duck eggs for your next batch of cookies, blue oyster mushrooms for your next stir-fry, or a locally made soap for your bathroom shelf.
You never know what you'll discover when you think beyond the grocery store aisle.