Chicken Charcuterie
Recently, Valley charcuterie maestros Brian Hines and Thom Barbour – collectively known as Proper Beast – added a Thai food-inspired chicken tamarind sausage ($12) to their lineup. The ground sausage is crafted with local products, including Two Wash Ranch chicken, Americano Foods peanut butter and spices from Saguaro Spice Shop. Emulsified with chicken fat, the sausage has a lighter texture than its porcine counterpart, allowing the citrus and tamarind to shine brightly. Tuck some fried tamarind sausage into an omelet, top a pizza, make meatballs or use in a stir-fry. “Experiment with it,” Hines says. “There’s so much flavor in the sausage, I always tell people to keep it simple.” The tamarind chicken sausage is gluten, dairy and sugar free and contains no hormones, antibiotics or fillers. “It’s not something you’re going to find at the grocery store,” Hines says.
The Proper Beast Charcuterie
@theproperbeast or theproperbeast.com
Elderberry Syrup
A few years ago, a friend of Divya Yoder’s suggested she try elderberry syrup to boost her young family’s immunity. Elderberries, the fruit of the European elder tree, have been linked to reducing cold and flu symptoms. After trying a few brands, she wasn’t satisfied with the taste or the ingredients, which included refined sugar, fructose and preservatives. In the meantime, Yoder experimented with making her own brew and came up with an aromatic formula that includes Ceylon cinnamon, cloves, ginger and local raw honey ($30 for 14 oz.). “Each ingredient is selected intentionally for its benefits, including anti-inflammatory properties, vitamins and antioxidants,” she says of the syrup, which can be blended into a smoothie, drizzled over pancakes or stirred into oatmeal. “It always tastes delicious no matter what you mix it with.” Find Original Elderberry Co. at farmers markets and other Valley outlets.
Original Elderberry Co.
originalelderberryco.com
Fancy Cocktail Ice
If you’re ready to take your cocktail game to the next level, check out Jess Flowers’ selection of eye-catching ice cubes ($8, two-pack or four-pack minis). Using as many local flowers, herbs, fruits and vegetables as possible, Flowers creates stunning ice cubes to float in your favorite cocktails, from mojitos and bloody Marys to martinis and sangria. Fashioning the cubes is a multi-stage process that takes about four days, Flowers says. In order to produce clear ice, she boils filtered water to banish the air bubbles and minerals and then places the water in special molds to freeze. After that layer is frozen, she adds flowers or other edible ingredients and freezes them into place. Flowers also makes floral ice rings for punch bowls ($35) that last for several hours. The ice creations are perfect for Instagram, she says. “They make your drink fun.”
Flower Child Cocktail Supplies
flowerchildcocktailsupplies.com
