Noah’s Raw Chocolate
The Raw Chocolate Man (aka Noah Nicolas Loin) hails from Fairfield, Iowa – a small city in southeast Iowa known for innovation. Surrounded by farms growing corn and soybeans along with cattle and hog operations, Fairfield is not a city where most people expect to find an abundance of start-ups, including software and development companies, an international center for TM (Transcendental Meditation), and Noah’s Raw Chocolate – a company committed to making raw chocolate desserts that also happen to be non-GMO, dairy free, gluten-free, organic, and delicious. Read more 
Tolerant Foods Organic Pastas
Looking for a great source of organic and gluten-free plant-based protein? Consider pasta made by Tolerant Foods, a company crazy about the health benefits and taste of legumes (beans, lentils, peas, and garbanzos). With three different types of pasta – penne, rotini, and mini fettucine – made from either organic black beans or organic red lentils, there is a noodle for everyone. Read more
Jeff’s Naturals: Olives
Delicious shelf-stable olives from small family farms in Sicily, Greece, and Spain are now available through Jeff’s Naturals – a California-based company specializing in jarred Mediterranean products free of preservatives, stabilizers, artificial colors, flavors and sulfites. With seven types of jarred olives in the company’s product line, Jeff’s Naturals appeals to a wide variety of those who love their olives plain, stuffed, or sliced. Read more
Paul’s Grains
Paul’s Grains is a hidden gem in a land of few jewels. Most farmers in Iowa grown genetically modified corn and soybeans but Paul’s Grains has been growing a variety of grains (spelt, barley, buckwheat, oats, corn, soybeans, millet, flax seed,quinoa, and more) without chemical fertilizers since 1964.
Going against the grain, Wayne and Betty Paul purchased 160 acres of land in a small town in central Iowa called Laurel. After graduating from Iowa State University with a degree in agriculture, Wayne was introduced to chemical-free farming using healthy, natural fertilizers for weed and insect control, which is how it’s been done for 51 years. Read more
Harvest Grains Summer Salad
Harvest Grains Blend from Trader Joe’s is a quick cooking blend of couscous, orzo pasta, baby garbanzo beans, and red quinoa. Combined with fresh vegetables, sweet Marzano plum tomatoes, avocado, a bit of olive oil, lemon juice, and dill, the cooked grain blend is the perfect base for a light and refreshing side dish for summertime meals. From stove to table in 20 minutes, the Harvest Grains Summer Salad is a delicious blend of textures and flavors that goes with nearly any dish placed on the table. Read more
Gummies without the Gelatin
Never trust an adult who doesn’t like gummy bears, worms, or sour crawlers.
There is something special about gummy candy that brings out the kid in all of us. When a friend asked me “What do gummy bears, worms, cinnamon hats, sour crawlers, jelly rings, jelly slices, and hundreds of other gummy-type candies on the market have in common?,” my answer was “sugar,” which is not necessarily true (there are sugar-free gummies). Read more
Ithaca Farmer’s Market
The Ithaca Farmer’s Market is a cooperative with 150 vendors who live within 30 miles of the city named for the Greek island of Ithaca. Most vendors fall into one of four(4) categories: agricultural, livestock, food, and arts/crafts. What distinguishes Ithaca Farmer’s Market from other farmer’s markets is the total commitment to locally grown, raised, and manufactured goods, which is an omnivore’s dream market. Read more
Cacao Prieto
Chocolate makers – meticulous aficionados who choose to start with cacao beans to create their chocolates – are the rock stars of an industry that celebrates the subtle flavor differences of the cacao bean. Bars are now notable for the characteristics of the beans – the variety and where it was cultivated which are influenced by rainfall, sunshine, temperature, and the type of soil in which the bean was grown – and the multi-step process by which the chocolate maker takes large colorful cacao beans and turns them into a mouth-watering sensation. Read more
Broccoli Salad
When cole slaw doesn’t create as much excitement around the dinner table halfway through the summer as it did over July 4th, its time to mix things up a bit and serve fresh Broccoli Salad, a colorful and refreshing alternative to the traditional summer salads. Choosing flavors and textures that complement each other in both taste and presentation is the key here while keeping it simple with four ingredients. Think earthy, sweet, crunchy, and tangy. Read more
The Peanut Shop of Williamsburg
Anybody want a peanut? ~Fezzik
There are thousands of types of peanuts but only four major groups: Runner, Spanish, Valencia, and Virginia. These nuts (actually legumes, but that’s another story) differ in flavor, size, shape, and oil content and are therefore used differently. Most peanut butters are made with either the disease-resistant Runner or the Spanish (higher oil content) peanut while the Valencia is preferred for a southern favorite – boiled peanuts. Virginia peanuts – known for their large size and exquisite flavor – are generally sold in shell or roasted and salted. Read more
Paddock Post 