Homegrown Happy Valley

I love gluten. I didn’t realize how much-or even what it was, for that matter-until I discovered it was making me sick. Technically speaking, gluten is the protein in wheat, barley and rye. Translation: it’s the stuff that makes food edible. Eliminate this magic ingredient and you often end up with something that merely resembles the food it’s trying to be. Thankfully there are exceptions and some of my favorites are locally sold and produced. Here’s where to find them:

Cools Beans Coffee and Tea: This quaint Bellefonte coffee shop makes flourless goodies. When I last stopped in I bought a bag of peanut butter cookies made from peanut butter, egg and sugar. No flour needed.

Webster’s: The gluten-free tarts from Edenview Organics work because the real star here is the fruit. The flourless base is simply a vehicle for delivering the berries to your sweet tooth.

Nature’s Pantry: I’m not sure how I’d survive without this store. Craving salt? Try Sticks & Twigs. Banana bread? Better Batter makes terrific baked goods (in the recipe I used for banana bread, I substituted half of the gluten-free flour for almond meal, which gave the final product a wonderful nutty taste.) These products aren’t locally made, but you’re supporting a great neighborhood store by buying them here.

Corrinado’s Pizza: This place has pulled off a major feat: a gluten-free pizza crust that isn’t horrible. Better than that, it’s actually tasty (the only drawback: jaw fatigue. It’s kind of chewy, and you’ll forever be two bites behind your friends eating their conventional pies). The place seems to take the gluten-free lifestyle seriously. When I inquired about the pizza joint’s gluten-free options, an employee mentioned that she had just tried a wonderful new gluten-free recipe (the banana bread, mentioned above). “Want me to send it along with your delivery?” she asked. I took her up on the offer and added our unusual conversation to the list of reasons I love living here.

Tait Farm: Tait Farm Shrub mixed with sparkling wine is an excellent gluten-free beverage. Plus, it’s on the menu at Elk Creek Cafe +  Aleworks. Also available at the Tait Farm Harvest Shop is Lost Hollow Raw Honey. If I close my eyes, I can pretend I’m eating a sticky bun with my coffee.

Fasta & Ravioli Company: Here’s some news that will make your day: The local producer of fresh, handcrafted pasta is working on a gluten-free recipe! Stay tuned for some “taste testings,” planned for the first Saturday of each month.

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 14th, 2010 at 9:37 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.