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Whether we’re sampling a hot new condiment that recently hit our desk or tasting our way through a dozen seaweed snacks at an industry trade show, our job is to eat and report to you. With that, here are the five yummiest, most interesting and exciting new-ish local food products we’ve found.
If & When Moroccan Preserved Meyer Lemon Paste
Created by a classically-trained Sonoma chef and winemaker, If & When’s easy-to-use paste is made with whole Meyer lemons — their thin, aromatic skin makes them better for preserving than Lisbon or Eureka lemons — from family-owned farms on the Central Coast. The lemons are cured in small batches with sea salt, bay leaf, Tellicherry peppercorn and allspice. Try it on everything from chicken kabobs and labne dip to avocado toast for sensational depth and flavor. We’re obsessed.
Details: $13. Also available in Cumin & Garlic flavor. Find them at Farm Fresh To You, One Ferry Building, San Francisco, and online at https://buyifandwhen.com.
Cowgirl Creamery’s Hop Along Cheese
We’ve long been smitten by Cowgirl Creamery’s cheeses, and especially the triple-cream Mt. Tam, which we are helpless to resist. Now Cowgirl has released its first new variety — since 2011! — and it’s divine in a whole other way. Hop Along is an aged semi-firm cheese with a fragrant French cider-washed rind and nutty, buttery flavors. It looks great on a cheese and charcuterie board. And it tastes even better.
Details: $22.95 per pound. Available at Cowgirl Creamery’s shops in San Francisco and Point Reyes, Oakland’s Market Hall Foods and San Francisco’s Bi-Rite and Rainbow markets.
The Mochi Mill
Mochi flour baking? Mind. Blown. That was our reaction after tasting Robert and Jennifer Schilling’s subtle, elegant pastries and other treats made with their proprietary gluten-free flour. The Petaluma-based couple is starting small, selling their light crepes, moist cakes and fluffy mochi pancakes at the Marin Farmers Market. But their ultimate goal is to sell their additive-free flour industrially — to manufacturers looking to clean up their labels and improve their products. Let’s hope that extends to home cooks.
Details: Find The Mochi Mill from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays at the Marin Civic Center Farmers Market, in the back row between the fish and the sauerkraut, or at Mozzeria in San Francisco’s Mission District, which uses their gluten-free pizza crusts; www.themochimill.com
Oyna Natural Foods Kuku
Kuku is a Persian-style frittata made with less egg than the traditional dish, and a ton of herbs and vegetables. And unlike the versions typically available in ethnic markets or at grandma’s, you don’t have to use a paper towel to absorb all the excess oil. La Cocina-backed Oyna’s are light, fluffy and come in four varieties, including Original Sabzi (chives, parsley, cilantro, dill, walnut, barberries) and Potato (potato, parsley, carrots, peas). Individually-wrapped and perfect for on-the-go breakfast or rolled into a wrap for lunch. Iranians, rejoice: No more chopping for days.
Details: Available Saturdays at Sunnyvale Farmers Market and Sundays at Walnut Creek Farmers Market. Also on the menu at Oakland’s Redfield Cider Bar; www.oynanaturalfoods.com
Miyoko’s European-Style Cultured Vegan Butter
In a few short years this Petaluma-based creamery has begun to change the way foodies think about eating vegan — and it starts with this smooth, highly spreadable organic butter tinged with sea salt. Widely available and made of cashew cream fermented with live cultures, it melts and browns beautifully. Not a trace of nut or grit, we swear.
Details: $6.50. Available at select Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Raley’s and Target stores; https://miyokos.com