It's almost time for my July box, and I realized I hadn't shared the June box! So far, I've tried that spicy honey peanut butter - which I think would be perfect for a Thai dish. And it's no joke spicy.
Hannahbug's Chocolates, based in Point Pleasant, can be found in other shops around the state. When I saw all of their beautiful chocolate creations on Facebook, I put an order in on their website and ended up picking it up here in Charleston.
Because I have never tried these local chocolates before, I ordered a sample so I could get a taste of a few different things. The top photo is a Salted Caramel Pecan Cluster - so like a turtle. It's a few of my favorite things all wrapped up in one.
She makes these little baby peanut butter cups that have a thick chocolate layer with creamy peanut butter inside. So good.
This apple moonshine ganache has West Virginia written all over it, but wooo-weee. Be prepared to get a real taste of that moonshine.
Same for the cherry!
My favorite, though, was their take on a Snickers bar, which is JUST like that - but even better. Smoother, creamier, just overall better.
And, yet, the star of the show was this gigantic caramel apple, covered in milk chocolate, white chocolate and nuts. Just wow.
Grade: A
It's my favorite time of month - Appalachian Mercantile Box day!
This month includes Route 11 potato chips: Route 11 Potato Chips came knocking because they needed just the right salt for their newest flavored chip. Our salt was the perfect answer and a partnership was made. You won't want to eat any other potato chip after tasting this salty and spicy combo. Only 4 ingredients: potatoes, sunflower oil, JQD salt and cracked black pepper.
In a Jam Heirloom Tomato Jam: Andrea Duke, of Parkersburg, WV makes these delicious jams and jellies from local fruits and vegetables. The heirlom tomato jam is excellent on a hamburger or grilled salmon. Try the salted watermelon jelly on a cheese board with your favorite blue cheese. Paw paws are a local Appalachian fruit that taste like a combination of mango and banana, which makes this fruit butter perfect for toast. The wild ramp jelly is delicious on sandwiches, or poured over cream cheese as an appetizer. The mission fig jam is a great accompaniment to hard cheese such as Manchego and aged Gouda.
J.Q. Dickinson Spicy Dark Chocolate Caramel Sauce: J.Q. Dickinson's organic caramel sauces are a necessity in the pantry for a quick, delicious dessert. Heat gently in the microwave then pour over ice cream, pie, pound cake, or fresh fruit. Made with organic sugar, cream and butter. The bourbon caramel has the addition of Black Draft Distillery bourbon. The dark chocolate and spicy dark chocolate are made with Appalachian Chocolate Company's organic bean to bar dark Peruvian chocolate. The spicy dark chocolate caramel has the addition of a hint of ghost pepper.
Snake Oil Hot Sauce: Once you taste this hot sauce, made by Woodberry Pantry in Baltimore, it will become the only hot sauce you will use. Made from heirloom fish peppers, cider vinegar and JQD salt, it has the perfect heat level and rich flavor to compliment and enhance almost any dish.
Stone House Lavender Lip Balm: Stone House Lavender started growing lavender in central WV in 2017. This lip balm is soothing and refreshing. Great to always have on hand.
Durham Woodworking Cutting Board: This cutting board is made from WV oak and walnut. It is great in the kitchen for smaller projects or use to serve cheeses. 9" x 6". A great gift or addition to your own kitchen. Rub with mineral oil or beeswax to keep it seasoned.
Baker Cheese Company is this amazing little Morgantown-based business that is specializing in cheese boards. I stumbled across it on Instagram and immediately knew I needed to get one.
She does all kinds of large, elaborate displays. But I went for one of these smaller picnic-type of arrangements. It's perfectly portable and has so many delicious bites - grapes, manchego cheese, brie cheese, almonds, a delicious jam, raspberries, salami, olives, cookies and crackers. This is like my dream dinner, every evening.
The only monthly subscription box that I order is the Appalachian Mercantile Box from J.Q. Dickinson. I look forward to it every month. It includes a curated collection of Appalachian products - whether that's food, crafts, spices, soaps - you name it.
My most recent box included a cherry pinch cellar from Allegheny Treenware, a greeting card from Appalachia Press, some heirloom popping corn from Bluestone Mountain Farm, popcorn salt from J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works, grapefruit drinking vinegar from Mother Shrub, Red Hot Sprinkle from Olde Virden's, and Black Beans from Shagbark Mill.
I can't wait to dig in and see what I can have fun with!
T-Mart in Elkins is a convenience store that also serves up some hot food.
The menu consists of options for all three meals in the day. From breakfast sandwiches and lunchtime specials, T-Mart has a little bit of everything.
That includes subs, sandwiches, salads, soups, hot dogs and more.
First, though, my eyes gravitated toward a basket of pepperoni rolls. The ones with a little red dot have hot pepper cheese, so I nabbed one of those.
And, the lunch special for the day was an Italian stromboli, so I got one of those too - plus an assortment of drinks, gummi lifesavers and Reeses. Hey, roadtrips call for snacks.
The stromboli was puffed up into a round ball of heaven. Buttery on the outside, the roll - once punctured - deflated a bit to reveal some some salami, cheese and peppers.
Not great for heartburn, but great for the tastebuds. I would love if this thing was filled to the brim. But tasty, nonetheless.Grade: B
"FIRSTHAND Cooperative is a worker-owned coffee company located in the heart of Appalachia. Inspired by the principles of the fair trade movement, we connect producers and consumers in mountain communities through our fair share guarantee. This commitment to mutual aid and our vision for a sharing economy along coffee supply chains supports social enterprise development abroad and right here in our mountain home."
I just got some of this coffee to try! Have you had a taste yet?
Court Street Market in downtown Fayetteville is new and is offering lots of organic goods.
So I had to stop in to check it out. They have a little bit of everything.
Whether you're looking for decorations or bulk beans, they have it.
This seems like a great go-to for hard-to-find ingredients locally.
Have you been?
If you saw this bottle of olive oil, you probably wouldn't think it had any connection to West Virginia. But, in fact, it does.
From a Charleston Gazette-Mail piece:
"Even though nearly 5,000 miles separate her from her family estate in Sezze Romano, Italy, Lia DiTrapano Fairless brings a piece — a taste — of Italy back with her to Charleston each time she visits.
To her, there’s nothing better than DiTrapano Oil — cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil made from olive trees surrounding Villa DiTrapano, the family’s 16-acre estate near the Mediterranean Sea.
Since 2009, the family has been hand-harvesting the Itrana olives from the more than 400 trees in the uliveto — Italian for olive grove — to make their prized olive oil.
Until recently, they’ve just brought the oil back home in plastic containers to use for themselves and to share with close friends and relatives. But in September, Fairless said, they brought 67 cases of the bottled oil to sell in West Virginia. The first cases were stocked on shelves at The Wine Shop at Capitol Market; Eggplant on Bridge Road in Charleston; and Bella The Corner Gourmet in Lewisburg."
Have you tried it?
A La Carte Fine Chocolates is a small candy company that is based out of Bridgeport but sells its candy in small venues and festivals. They make chocolate marshmallow pops, pecan bark, coconut truffles and everything in between. While at was at the Culture Center shop, I picked up these chocolate pops for a sweet treat. SO tasty. Make sure you pick up one of their tasty treats!
Sweeteez is a home bakery that has now expanded into shops in Southern West Virginia. "Starting Sweeteez in a small commercial kitchen constructed in her basement, Sharon wanted to create sweets that were unusual, like her Dream Sticks a fudge fantasy on a stick dipped in different chocolates or flavors, and then if you prefer, coated with pecans or the Coal Cookies, a dark chocolate and mint creation that looks like a lump of coal, but that is where the comparison ends. We often have companies give our products as gifts; we are able to personalize the labels to meet the needs of our customers."
So I tried these little West Virginia mints in white, milk and dark chocolate. Pretty Tasty!
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