Heritage Foods

Years ago, my mom happened across Heritage Foods in a food magazine. She pointed at the article and exclaimed, “I want lamb for Christmas!” We still rave about the lamb chops she ordered from Heritage Foods. They were juicy and tender and clean tasting. None of that gamey taste that repels many people. Even the fat tasted pure and mild. From that point on, Heritage Foods had a place on our holiday table.

This year, I cooked a whole leg of lamb for Christmas and then turned the leftovers into lamb biryani. For Thanksgiving, I ordered a special heritage turkey that was fabulous. My mom raved it was “the absolute best” turkey we’d ever had. The meat was juicy and tender and perfectly seasoned.

Now, I’m not going to lie, I winced a bit when I hit the purchase button. The Heritage Foods turkey was more expensive than a grocery store turkey. But it was so much better, I promise. To me, the increased cost reflects the increased care that went into raising this bird humanely and without hormones or antibiotics. And because it cost more I used every single bit of meat I possibly could. I stuffed the white meat in sandwiches and simmered the dark meat in curries. The carcass and neck became a fabulous turkey broth. I squeezed every last bit of flavor out of that turkey because I didn’t want to waste a scrap.

Oh and the Heritage Foods wagyu burgers are AMAZING. Second place goes to the sausage wheels which are super easy to throw on the grill. We even got my dad a bacon sampler as a gift (which of course we had to help him eat). Basically, if you’re a meat lover, you will love Heritage Foods meat.

My Heritage Meats picks:

Signature Heritage Bacon, Maple Sugar Cured
Wagyu hamburger patties
Heritage turkey raised by Frank Reese on Good Shepherd Poultry Ranch
Bone-in leg of lamb. Heritage Meats sells several breeds, such as Tunis, Dorset Horn, Navajo-Churro, and California Red.

Natural Wine

I drank a lot of great natural wine this year. My liver, my waistline, and my checkbook are mad. But my tastebuds be happy. Full confession: I thought natural wine wasn’t for me. Isn’t that crazy? I love it now! Sadly, until this year, I viewed it as underwhelming and flavorless. Thankfully, my love for funky French ciders from Normandy pushed me to give natural wine another chance. Based on a recommendation from food bloggers Kaitlin Orr and Anders Husa, I ordered a bottle of “Liquid Skin,” which is produced by Mother Rock in South Africa. It turned out to be a golden-hued yeasty glass of goodness. It was bright and strong and the flavor changed considerably as the wine shifted temperature. I was hooked. Over the summer I explored more natural wineries from Tschida to Bink to Philippe Bornard. My mom, who prefers full-bodied Washington reds, enjoyed these labels as much as I did, which is a huge win in my book. I’m constantly on the lookout for new wines to try (send me recommendations, please!) and I’m by no means an expert. If you’re new to natural wine like me then the following labels are a great place to start drinking. If you’re a natural wine aficionado then you likely already know and love the following suggestions. Here are some wines and wine stores that made my 2020 so much better…

Wines I’m currently liking:

Christian Tschida, Himmel Auf Erden Weiss
Gut Oggau, Winifred Rosé
Matassa, Cuvée Alexandria
Philippe Bornard, Le Ginglet Arbois Pupillin
Mother Rock, Liquid Skin

Wine stores I like:

The Natural Wine Shoppe in Washington, D.C.
The Natural Wine Company in Brooklyn, NY
E&R Wine Shop in Portland, OR
The Thief Fine Wine & Beer in Walla Walla, WA

Obviously this is not an inclusive list (it’s only four shops!) but these shops stocked the wines that interested me so they were, for me, the best wine shops at that moment.

Miles Away Farm - peach raspberry jam.jpeg

Miles Away Farm - apricot habanero jam.jpeg

Photo credit: Miles Away Farm

Miles Away Farm

Way back in March 2020 we signed up for a weekly delivery of fresh organic produce from Hayshaker Farm. This farm box became the highlight of my week and the star of the show was jam from Miles Away Farm. We tried pretty much every flavor. Tart cherry, tangy strawberry rhubarb, spicy apricot habanero. The wild blackberry and the triple berry were our absolute favorites. We ordered so much jam in quarantine I think it’s safe to say my family became the #1 fans of Miles Away Farm. We mixed jam into yogurt and slathered it on bread. Sometimes, we ate jam straight from the jar. The Miles Away Farm jams are like bright spoonfuls of summer. Heavenly.

My Miles Away Farm picks:

wild blackberry jam
triple berry jam
blueberry lemon jam