The following vendors are highlighted for two reasons. 1) The products are genuinely good. Some I've even purchased at my local grocery store since sampling them at the Expo. 2) The people were interesting, friendly and seemingly honest.
Cook Simple
 |
| Photo/Gluten Free Garden State |
Hailing from Red Lodge, Montana, this company specializes in quick meals. (Think Hamburger Helper, but gluten free and with more variety.) It was serving up samples of its Cowboy Chili, which was probably a good choice. I'm not sure how well the skillet lasagna would have gone over in a region heavily populated by Italian Americans, no matter how wonderful it might be. The chili was flavorful without being too spicy and it something I would easily consider making at home. Some of the other meal solutions, such as tamale pie, also piqued my interest.
If the pair serving the samples were out of their element, it didn't show. When my Expo companion joked about there being no cowboys in New Jersey, they emphatically agreed. The woman serving the samples said she regretted not wearing her cowgirl hat, since she was the only one in the large expo space.
GF Harvest
These folks came all the way from Wyoming! The company is owned and operated by the Smith family, who have three generations of celiacs and have been gluten-free since 1990. GF Harvest was started after young Forrest Smith wanted to develop a safe source of uncontaminated oats and used that idea to fuel a high school Future Farmers of America project. His father, Seaton Smith, told me the entrepreneur project was so good, the family jumped at the chance to try it out for real.
The result is gluten-free oatmeal, granola and flour products. And Seaton said every oat came from his fields and the operation relies entirely on resources and other businesses local (to them).
I asked the Smiths what they thought of the great Garden State. After a moment's hesitation, they smiled and Seaton diplomatically said it was "interesting." They're more accustomed to a three-stop town, but we'll welcome them here anytime.
Omission Beer
 |
| Photo/Gluten Free Garden State |
I was a beer drinker before diagnosed with celiac disease nearly 16 years ago and have slowly discovered several GF brands I now enjoy. The Expo featured five labels, four of which I had either never heard of or had never tried. There were a couple of brands that didn't appeal to me, but several that did, including Omisison. I ended up bringing home a six-pack of the lager brew.
The company is based in Portland. The rep I spoke with is a native of Hawaii who is now living in Oregon. She explained that the beer is made with malted barley, a traditional ingredient, but the gluten is removed through an unspecified process developed by the company. Although it claims its beer is "gluten free" in Oregon, labeling laws elsewhere preclude it from making that claim elsewhere. However, every batch is tested to ensure it meets the legal standards to market it as gluten-free.
Personally, I've had no issues and have not heard of anyone else feeling "glutened" by this beer. Let me know if you disagree. Otherwise, I enjoyed this brew and the conversation.
Cheers!
 |
| Photo/Gluten Free Garden State |
No comments:
Post a Comment