Local Farm Spotlight

Check out this interesting article from The Daily Tar Heel about a local farmer.

A Meatloaf Sandwhich

Fresh, hand prepared sandwiches made from only the best ingredients — local and organic produce and free-range meat. If you are feeling tempted, you can find all of this at Sandwhich.

For a tasty treat try the Niman Ranch Meatloaf, with meatloaf, Cabot cheddar cheese, applewood-smoked bacon, Balsamic glaze on sourdough toast.

State Farmers Market

You can find fresh, local, North Carolina goodness all year-long at the State Farmers Market in Raleigh. According to the website, the Market sells over 300 different items, including fresh fruits, vegetables, plants, Christmas trees and crafts.

The entire market covers 75 acres, but food is sold in a 225,000 square ft covered space whose walls can be opened and closed for climate control.

But, what could be better then shopping at the Farmers Market? Eating at their restaurant — enjoying the same delicious food from the market without any of the work. Employee Wendy Starzman said lunch is the busiest time of day, and she recommends checking the daily menu for seasonal items.

For a taste of North Carolina be sure visit the Market.

Watts Spring Menu

Watts Grocery of Durham is celebrating spring and a new menu! Some highlights include: Fried Green Tomato B.L.T, Duck Breast with Vidalia Onion custard, and Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler with Tellicherry Black Pepper Ice Cream. This menu will only last until June 1st, so head on over to Watts and try one of these tasty new dishes.

The Fresh Market

organic: produce grown without conventional pesticides, artificial fertilizers, human waste, or sewage sludge, and processed without ionizing radiation or food additives; animals reared without antibiotics and growth hormones (Wikipedia).

If you’re shopping for organic food, any farmers market or grocery store is a great place to start. But my recommendation is The Fresh Market — an innovative grocery store modeled after a small European market. The low-lighting, open layout and friendly, accessible staff create a most pleasant shopping experience.

Yet, it’s the variety of fresh products that really make this store a stand out. District Manager John Craven said at least 10 percent of Fresh Market’s products are organic. And the store definitely makes an effort to label it’s food. You’ll find signs that read organic or conventional, organic is written on packaged items, and some foods like apples have small individual labels on each fruit.

When you step through the doors you’ll find yourself browsing and taking a little more time then usual. Your weekly visit to the grocery store may just become something you look forward to.

Lilly’s Pizza

“Damn good pizza” with endless toppings. Friendly service. Eclectic artwork. Self-seating. Tasty starters and salads. Open kitchen. Beer and wine. Casual and chaotic atmosphere.

You can find all this, along with mannequins and bottle cap creations, and so much more at Lilly’s Pizza, found in Raleigh’s Five Points Community.

Customer Jessi Lail, 22, said she goes through phases of obsession where she just can’t get enough of Lilly’s. And while the menu is full of fabulous choices, she recommends the Hawiian Punch Pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarella, Canadian bacon, Mandarin oranges, pineapples and ricotta. Yum!

Lilly’s opened in 1993 and prides themselves on “the most natural ingredients with limited additional processing,” according to the menu. From hand selected produce by Blue Sky Farms in Wendell, N.C., to Certified Organic ingredients, and from weekly ground flour to completely natural meat toppings, Lilly’s has worked hard to create a different kind of pizza place. They have absolutely succeeded.

When you leave Lilly’s your clothes will carry the scent of the most fresh and fulfilling food, and your cravings will certainly be satisfied.

Is organic worth the extra cost?

“From 1997 to 2006, sales nearly quadrupled, rising from $3.6 billion to $17.7 billion,” according to the News and Observer.

Why this boost in sales? The public generally considers “organic food [to be] healthier, safer and better for the environment.”

But will the slowing economy cause problems for this new American trend? The N&O thinks not, click here to read the complete article.

Duplin Winery

When you think of North Carolina, you may think of the Outer Banks, barbecue and sweet tea, Carolina basketball, or the Blue Ridge Parkway. You probably don’t think of a best selling wine. But in Rose Hill the local Muscadine grape vines are producing local wines that are selling out every year.

An employee of Duplin Winery, Bill Lowenthall, explained that Muscadine grapes produce the “highest level of antioxidants of any wine ever tested.” Whether you prefer a glass of red or a glass of white, one glass of this wine has more antioxidants than 25 glasses of a California red wine, he said. “Not only does it taste good, but it’s also good for you.”

Over one-third of the wine made and sold by Duplin Winery is their Hatteras Red, which is also the biggest selling wine in all of North Carolina and South Carolina, Lowenthall said. “This traditional southern Muscadine red is pleasantly sweet and intense with fruit,”according to Duplin Winery.

However, my recommendation is the Midnight Magnolia, which was Duplin Winery’s first ever estate wine (meaning it was grown within four miles of the winery). This particular wine is exceptional because the grapes are grown without irrigation, fertilizers or pesticides. Through this organic method, less grapes are produced, but the grapes that are produced are heartier and fruitier, creating a crisp bold wine.

Be sure to visit the winery, which is located on Interstate 40 on the way from Raleigh to Wilmington, where tastings and tours are complimentary. Lowenthall said, “We just want you to taste our wines, try our wines, and like our wines.”

Southern Exposure

As spring arrives and greets us with warmer weather, I long to visit the beach. Just last week I discovered a hidden gem halfway between Wilmington and Raleigh, and only a few minutes off Interstate 40.

In the sleepy town of Faison I was pleasantly surprised to find Southern Exposure. The quaint restaurant serves produce from local farms and the delicious dishes have a distinct Southern twist. Try the baked goat cheese with sun-dried tomatoes to start, then the pork chop with collards and macaroni and cheese noodle cake, and finish with the fabulous key lime pie.

The tasty menu, exposed brick walls, black and white photography of local landmarks, white linen table cloths and ice water with a hint of orange, make this dinning experience something to be remembered. Be sure to stop on your next trip to the beach and I’m certain you’ll agree!

A perfect B.L.T.

I can’t tell you if the bacon, lettuce or tomato are local products*. But I can tell you that this sandwich is delicious, and after just one bite you’ll find yourself falling in love again with this old classic.

Although I can’t promise you the food is local, Merritt’s Store and Grill, which sells this tasty B.L.T. is certainly local. It’s been around for ages and has successfully established itself on the edge of Chapel Hill. However, by its looks, the old country shop can easily be mistaken for a simple convenience store but don’t be fooled.

When you step through the doors you’ll be overwhelmed by the scent of frying bacon. Walk left and find the grill where you can order a B.L.T. that comes in single, double or triple layers.

Two things to remember: all orders are take-out and only cash is excepted (although there is an ATM in the store).

Have this “world famous B.L.T.” and I’m sure you’ll find yourself coming back for more.

* I am working on this information, and I will soon have an update.