I just love the idea of chickens moving from pasture to pasture in their own coop mobile. Who wouldn’t feel good about living on green pastures and having a chauffeur drive you around to the finest places to dine? Wilcox Family Farms does just that for their chickens, and I do believe it makes for happier chickens and better eggs. Better eggs means more delicious foods. Wilcox Mobile Pasture Chickens spend their days outside on fresh, green grass, thanks to their mobile chicken coops that are moved to a new location every week. This is great for their hens, but makes it very easy for predators, such as eagles and hawks to prey on the chickens. To keep their chickens safe Wilcox trained 15 Great Pyrenees guard dogs to protect the hens. The dogs have been a major success and do a great job of keeping the hens safe! Chauffeured chickens, fresh places to dine and bodyguards – how amazing!

Black Garlic Infused Honey, new to our produce departments, offers a rich, flavorful characteristic that’s great on all kinds of foods.  My favorite is brushing it on pork or chicken when grilling, and I can’t wait to try it on seafood and vegetables.

What is it? Black Garlic starts off as regular white garlic. The garlic is placed in a closed container, then it’s exposed to fluctuating humidity and temperatures between 50⁰ and 75⁰C (120⁰ and 170⁰F). It can remain at these temperatures anywhere from 12 to over 100 days. Black Garlic is commonly referred to as being fermented, in fact, it’s a process called the Maillard reaction. The Maillard reaction is essentially the processes of browning your foods, like a sear on your steak. The process of creating black garlic slows this process down over several days, which completely changes the flavor, texture, smell, and even increases the health benefits of the garlic.

Having been in the beverage industry for a few decades, I really like to focus on local and high-quality. Sometimes, local leads and other times high-quality does. What has really excited me lately is the growing zero proof offerings in beer, cocktails and more. Lately, my favorite is our new set of Lyres ready-to-drink canned alcohol-free cocktails. They are sophisticated, complex and incredibly representative of their full-proof siblings. Lyres zero proof cocktails come in three flavors: G & T, Amalfi Spritz and Classico. The Amalfi Spritz has notes of bitter orange, peach, melon, Mediterranean herbs and elderflower. The Classico is redolent of Prosecco. And the G & T is similar to a classic G & T without the alcohol. All are delicious and come in 250ml cans or 4-packs. As someone who has tried a great deal of premium beverages, I think these will put smiles on a lot of faces. Delicious.

I love eclairs. They’ve been a year-round member of our Bakery for more than 20 years, and you can find them at all of our locations. This year, we‘ve added a seasonal twist and are featuring Raspberry Eclairs. Our fresh-baked éclair shell is made with Choux pastry – an egg and flour dough mixed over heat, then piped on to a sheet pan that magically puffs while baked. This creates a hollow center ready to be filled. We slice our éclair shell to allow for more delicious custard. Sweet-tart raspberry filling is piped in the bottom of the shell. We top that with vanilla custard and use a liquid fondant icing tinted pink. Each one is finished with a light drizzle of dark chocolate ganache. As you bite into it you will see and taste the creamy custard with the sweet-tart raspberry. It makes a lovely gift or an afternoon snack. When I tried it for the first time, it was difficult to stop at one bite. These will be available for a limited time only. You won’t want to miss this one.

I have the best job, seeking out exciting new products – more choices than imaginable – to provide our customers. We consider a lot of options that we don’t bring in, but when we hit on something amazing, we move it onto our shelves as fast as we can. A recent great find is Minor Figures Oat Milk Lattes. Reigning from the slopes of England, Minor Figures offers your palate a bloody good time! They are 100% vegan and ethically sourced with simple, clean ingredients that don’t compromise on flavor or enjoyment. Minor Figures, fueling you to do something major! Be sure to pick up a flavor that appeals to you and give them a try.

We have a lot of great options in our Meat & Seafood Department, but right now I’m excited about our bone-in, thick-cut Pork Chops rubbed with our new Block & Blade spice rub. These chops are bold, savory, meaty and perfect on the grill, in the oven or on the stove top. For me, the best way to cook them is on the grill. Sear on each side on high heat for 3-4 minutes, then finish them over indirect heat until the internal temp reaches 145 degrees, then let them rest for 4-5 minutes to retain all the juiciness. Add some fresh grilled veggies, maybe a cornbread pepper muffin from our Bakery, and you’re set. Get your grill ready, we’ll have the chops waiting for you.

After a few seasons behind a mask, I am ready to give my lips some serious attention this summer! I’m showing them extra love and care by protecting my pout with MD Solar’s Hydrating Lip Balms. I absolutely love the silky feeling of these tinted lip balms, plus they offer a healthy dose of SPF 30. With three shades available, the Pink is my go-to shade and offers a subtle rose hue that complements every occasion. Protect and hydrate your lips this summer, and all year long, with the wonderful offerings from MD Solar Sciences.

Our Home & Gift section is as rich as our Floral Department, featuring beautiful and interesting items to grace your home. Recently, I received a sample of a Grillight Spatula, which I found to be a brilliant solution to my late-evening grilling. Grillight is an innovative company that has found a solution for grilling after dark. This Giant Edition LED Spatula is perfect for cooking large pieces of meat or delicate fish. From its wide base, to the removable waterproof LED flashlight, this grilling tool is a game-changer. Whether your tailgating, camping or grilling in your backyard, this spatula is going to make life a little easier, especially when turning large cuts of meat and fish. Made from restaurant-grade stainless steel, it has 20,000 hours of bulb life and a lifetime warranty. I think it may also be the perfect tool for fending off Bigfoot next time he invades my camp.

I’m a cheese guy to the core. Give me a rich funky blue, a grassy feta or a dense well-aged white cheddar and I’m happy. But sometimes, you must stretch yourself. In my job, I get that opportunity all the time because our Cheese Shop has lots of options, from veg-based cheeses to olives. I went to a personal favorite as my pick for Discoveries at the Market: Girl Meets Dirt (GMD) is a small producer of preserves, jams, shrubs and bitters, based on the beautiful Orcas Islands in Washington. A big part of what they do is craft items using heritage recipes and old methods. Their founder, Audra Lawlor, still reduces their preserves in seasoned copper pots instead of using commercial pectin to set her jams and jellies. Most of the fruit used in GMD products come from their own orchard, often from trees that have been bearing fruit for over 100 years. Their new line of spoon preserves, now available at your Market of Choice Cheese Shops, are perfect illustrations of this unique approach. Their Pear Balsamic preserve is perfect to pair with blue cheese and their GOOD FOOD AWARD-winning Rhubarb Lavender & Shiro Plum with Mint, which can elevate any spring cheese board. Pair it with fresh goat or sheep milk cheese and your favorite crackers or crisps and enjoy their creative spirit in each bite.

Oh, my! Choosing one product from our new Market Kitchen summer pepper dishes is challenging, for sure! The one that stands out as extra delicious is our Bacon-Wrapped Pimento Cheese Stuffed Sweet Peppers – think jalapeno popper gets a foodie makeover. These are seriously glammed up! The peppers are not spicy at all; they are sweet and almost buttery. These mild sweet peppers are stuffed with a blend of pimento cheese and cream cheese, then wrapped in smoky bacon and roasted. You will get a touch of heat from the pimento cheese spread, but just very slight, and then the smoky bacon just takes this over the top. I have to admit, I am going to eat as many of these as I can while they’re here! These are the perfect summer side to just about everything. Yum!

I receive a lot of samples of locally made CBD products and really try to focus on who is making something great. We live in a region of innovative craftspeople, and Rogue Ales and Spirits has consistently led the way in the innovation of craft beverages through the decades. One of their latest offerings is a set of CBD beverages in deliciously unique and light flavors that are satisfying on a hot day or just relaxing to enjoy in the evening. While we have a growing number very well-made CBD beverages, from sparkling waters and sodas to kombucha and cider, I’m particularly happy with these enjoyable cans from Rogue. Check them out and enjoy.