Local Farm Spotlight: Rainbow Meadow Farms

All summer long we've been enjoying fresh produce & meats from Rainbow Meadow Farms. The farm is located in Snow Hill, just a hop & a skip from Wilson.

My husband and I are avid supporters of Community Supported Agriculture. It's awesome to know we can buy a share of produce every year late spring through early fall. It costs around $350 for a half share (what we usually buy). The produce is supplied for 20 weeks each year, that's only about $18.00 a week for fresh, local, organic produce. You can't beat that.

Rainbow Meadow is special because they also produce lots of healthy, free range meats, chicken, lamb, etc... We buy eggs from them every week over the summer and they are the best eggs we've ever eaten.

This week's produce in our CSA box includes:

• Corn,
  
• Tomatoes: Roma and Slicing,
• Red Irish Potatoes,
• Sweet Potatoes,
• Spring Onions,
• Yellow Squash,
• Blueberries,
• Eggplants: Thai (Green Spotted Round) and either White or Purple Japanese Eggplant
• Peppers: Bell and either Poblano or Key Largo
• Field Peas: Pink Eye/Purple Hull
  

Genell Pridgen, is one of the owners of Rainbow Meadow Farms and she runs the CSA operations every year. Her children help her to grow & pick the vegetables every year. This year, the children used some of the earning from the CSA to go to camp!

We've also purchased fresh meats such as ground beef, boneless sirloin tip roasts, and fresh applewood smoked bacon. The meats are absolutely wonderful. I've also had the boneless leg of lamb, and I'm looking forward to trying the lamb chops, ground chicken, and a whole roasting chicken.

If you are interested in purchasing fresh, locally & ethically raised meats, please consider calling Genell at Rainbow Meadow Farms & visiting their website. Let them know that Carrie sent you! :-)

While I have not specially asked Genell if the meats are gluten free, since they are fresh and not overly processed I think everything they sell is gluten free naturally. I'll make sure to ask Genell the next time I see her! :-)

To order beef, chicken, eggs, pork, lamb, or rabbit from Rainbow Meadow Farms, please visit their ordering page.

For more information about the Rainbow Meadow Farms 2011 CSA produce shares, please email Genell Pridgen (rainbow28580 at embarqmail dot com).

You can also read about the daily happenings at Rainbow Meadow by visiting their blog.

Gluten Free Groceries at Harris Teeter

Harris Teeter in Wilson carries a great selection of gluten free processed foods, frozen foods, and baking supplies. Here is a growing list of the products I've seen there that I know you can buy readily. If you know of something I've forgotten or left off this list, please add it to the comments below!

Baking supplies
Hodgson Mills Brown Rice Flour
Hodgson Mills Buckwheat Flour
Hodgson Mills Soy Flour
Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free Baking Flour
Bob's Red Mill White Rice Flour
Bob's Red Mill Tapioca Starch
Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Pancake & Waffle Mix
Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Brownie Mix
Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Cornbread Mix
Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Hearty Sandwich Bread Mix
Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread Mix
Bob's Red Mill Homemade Wonderful GF Bread Mix
Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix
Bob's Red Mill Xanthan Gum
Fleischmann's Bread Machine Yeast (best buy if you make bread at home)
Cream Cornstarch
Gluten Free Baking Powder
Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix
Betty Crocker Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix
Betty Crocker Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
Betty Crocker Gluten Free Brownie Mix

Pasta & Dry Goods
HT carries several types of gluten free pasta. Deboles is one brand, but unfortunately it does not have the best reviews. It can be easily overcooked and becomes mushy.
Another brand called Notta Pasta is much like Asian rice noodles and holds up really well after cooking. You can also find the Thai Kitchen brand of rice noodles in the Asian section and they taste really good, stand up to sauces, and are not mushy after being cooked.
Other things that are naturally gluten free that you can find:
Risotto
Rice, any kind as long as it's not in a mix
Cornmeal
Amy's Kitchen Soups

Frozen Foods
Amy's Kitchen Frozen Meals
Cedarlane Frozen Meals
Food For Life Brown Rice Bread
Brazilian Cheese Bread - This is super yummy if you miss cheesy bread! (I'll get the brand name the next time I go!)

Cereals
Rice Chex, (any variety now -- just make sure the label says gluten free!)
Envirokids Cereals
Bob's Red Mill Hot Grain Cereal


This is NOT a complete list by any means... this is just what I can think of off the top of my head. If you know of additional gluten free food at HT, please leave a comment below and let me know! Also, let me know what your shopping experience has been at HT in Wilson!