SARA DUCEY’S BUYER'S GUIDE FOR REAL GOOD FOOD
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Category |
Descriptors |
Brands |
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DAIRY |
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Butter |
Traditional cultured butters are best – Next best are organic butters |
Egg Farm Dairy in Peekskill, NY is my favorite for high-fat, home-made butter! At stores, look for: Cabots, Horizon, Kate’s Homemade, or Kellers’s and if you can’t get those use the mainstream Land O’Lakes |
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Milk |
Oh, for the old days with fresh clean, raw milk right from Bossie! Well unless you drive right to the farm, the next best is pasteurized, but not homogenized milks. Avoid ultra-pasteurized dairy foods. |
Chrome Dairy – in the glass bottles is great. Horizon organic or Fresh Fields brand is fine. Look for cream at the top to help you know it’s not homogenized. |
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Yogurt |
Whole milk, plain yogurt – you add the fruit |
Seven Stars Farms and Brown Cow are my favorites followed by Horizon. |
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Cheese |
Lobby for raw milk cheeses! Get the FDA out of your refrigerator! All kidding aside, raw milk cheeses are the tastiest, and provide nutrients not found in pasteurized milk cheeses. |
Egg Farm Dairy has some terrific cheeses – you just have to be patient till the UPS delivery arrives! Try their clabber cream (crème fraiche), cultured sweet butter and Wild-Ripened® cheeses |
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EGGS |
Look for these features: Free walking or uncaged; organic feed; high in omega-3 fats |
Gold Circle Farm www.goldcirclefarms.com |
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OILS |
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There are some good specialty oils, but the mainstays of commercially available oils I suggest are: Spectrum ( www.spectrumnaturals.com/home.htm); and Hain |
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MEATS |
Organic, free-range, no hormones, no antibiotics |
Coleman brand and Eberly are very tasty! Fresh Fields and My Organic Market (very limited choice) Sutton Place Some meats by mail order. |
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FISH |
Top of the catch – the fish caught the last day the boat is out – are freshest. Wild fish (some only available seasonally). Farmed fish are second best because their feed is grain and soy based – definitely not a natural diet. |
Sutton Place Gourmet is tops!
Fresh Fields is consistently good. The fish market in Southwest/ Maine Avenue is a mixed bag – use you eyes and nose to pick the best fish and shellfish – it’s a fun visit, regardless. |
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BREADS |
Sourdough preparation most effective at improving digestibility of grains; avoid breads containing hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils and/or corn syrups |
Spring Mill Bread Company in Maryland (Bethesda, Rockville and College park) – the best ingredients! Marvelous Market in DC, VA and MD – really tasty breads – especially the olive bread |
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OLIVES |
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Go to Marvelous Market! Enough said! |
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PRODUCE |
Organic production methods typically provide improved nutrition – and flavor often follows.
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My Organic Market in Rockville and College Park Some of the local food cooperatives provide good organic choices. Farmers markets offer freshness more often than organic production. But can be tasty. Fresh Fields throughout the region Others: Sutton Place Gourmet; Giant Gourmet |
Milk
Raw is best
Pasteurized but not homogenized is second best
Homo is least best
Eggs
No cages
Organic feed
Diet rich in omega 3/ No animal by products
Olive Oil
Extra Virgin, 1st pressing, organic
Estate bottled
Breads
Sourdough process is best
Yeast second best
Quick breads least best
FAVORITE STORES:
Virginia
Smithfield Farm (www.smithfieldfarm.com)
Maryland
My Organic Market
Sutton Place Gourmet
District of Columbia
Fish market at Maine Avenue
Fresh Fields --
Sutton Place Gourmet
Farmers Markets
Amish Markets
