Local Food Alert!

Occasionally, random local products do show up in grocery stores, even the big chains. I thought I'd create a spot where sudden bonanzas of good local food could be found - for example, a friend was telling me that during the height of blueberry season, Dominick's had a special on local blueberries that were both big-chain-grocery cheap and delicious (he bought them out and froze them.)

Today, Marketplace on Oakton was featuring a display of Michigan apples in the front area of the store: Honeycrisp, Jonathan, Winesap, Golden and Red Delicious, Fuju - and even my beloved Mutsus (first I've seen of them in a grocery store!) All were priced very reasonably though I have to admit I don't remember specifics.

While you're there, make sure to pick up a tub of the locally house-made yogurt (I doubt the milk used to make it is any more local than usual) it's fantastic.

It's easy to find Michigan apples, especially if you shop outside of the Jewell/Dominick's dualopoly. Caputo's in Elmwood Park has several varieties of Michigan apples including McIntoshes, Fuji, Red and Golden Delicious @ 3 lbs for a $1. Cannot beat that!

While this does not exactly fit in with the spirit of the original post (local finds in unexpected places), I saw that Whole Foods (at least the antichrist megastore on Kingsbury) is carrying jarred Frontera salsa labeled as "Farmer's Market Salsa" (or something to that effect), which uses River Valley Ranch onions, peppers, and heirloom tomatoes and Mick Klug peaches.

Costco has had cheap Michigan apples for the past few months...I bought a container of honeycrisps a couple weeks ago, and a couple weeks before that. They also had galas & fujis, I believe, among other varieties. All were marked as Michigan apples, and many of the containers had farm names on them.

While the funny containers do a great job of minimizing bruising, they will make the eco-concerned gnash their teeth in anger (here's a pic, for those unfamiliar). However, one clever person has repurposed the empty container into a mini greenhouse.