Whether you have your groceries delivered, pick up your order, or walk the aisles of your favorite market, keep an eye out for these three things.
Fruit snacks
We’ve long enjoyed citrus zest in everything from baked goods to beverages. We eat apple peels and pear skins all the time, but had we considered eating the skin of a kiwi or the rind of a watermelon? No, not until we were introduced to Rind Snacks, with its motto, “Keep it real. Eat the peel.” Founder Matt Weiss said he was inspired by his great-grandmother, Helen Seitner, who opened a natural foods store in Flint, Michigan, in the 1920s and insisted that nothing should go to waste. Everyone who tried these chips — from peach to apple to persimmon and kiwi — was surprised to find they all were delicious. With no added sugar and all that fiber from the rind, these make healthy snacks. The pineapple definitely was a favorite. When you tire of eating these right out of the bag, you’ll want to add them to your summertime charcuterie boards, or turn them into cocktail garnishes, using recipes like the ones for the Pear Up cocktail and a piña colada on the company’s website.
$5.99 per 3-ounce package. Available at the Fresh Market, select CVS locations and at rindsnacks.com, with free shipping for orders over $40.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Meatballs and sweet Italian sausage links
Carando Classic Italian makes a variety of pork-based items, including salami, pepperoni and prosciutto, as well as fresh Italian meatballs and sausages, made using recipes from founder Pietro Carando, who emigrated from Italy to America nearly a century ago. We found Carando products at our local grocery while looking for something that might make an easy holiday dinner. We pan-fried the Abruzzese Italian-style meatballs and grilled the sweet Italian sausage links for the Fourth of July. Everyone enjoyed the meatballs, which include grated Parmesan among their ingredients, and the Italian sausage hit all the right notes, with its fennel seasoning. The Carando website offers dozens of recipe ideas using the company’s products as a starting point, including sausage polenta and meatball stroganoff.
$5.99 per 19-ounce package of sausages or 16-ounce package of meatballs. Available at Kroger and Publix. For more information, visit carando.sfdbrands.com/en-us.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
The Blend seasoning
We do a lot of cooking, and we are always looking for delicious seasonings that make things easier in the kitchen. Back in 1946, John Kinder opened a butcher shop in San Pablo, California, and created a master blend of salt, cracked pepper and crunchy chunks of garlic that’s now sold as the Blend. True to its butcher shop origins, this seasoning is perfect for seasoning ground beef for hamburgers, as well as steaks when they come off the grill. We also liked it in vinaigrettes, as well as in cold salads, such as pasta salad and potato salad. The company produces 17 different seasoning mixes, ranging from buttery steakhouse to several no-salt flavors, including lemon-pepper and blackened seasoning. We are looking forward to working our way through the Kinder’s product line.
$6.49 per 6.25-ounce jar. Available at Kroger and Walmart, or use the store finder at kinders.com.
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