Suit your fancy
Take a culinary adventure into the flavorful world of specialty foods

BY KRIS WETHERBEE

Introduce specialty food items to your family with these tasty recipes for Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Cookies, Croissants Stuffed with Shiitake and Herb Duxelles and green salad with Horseradish Salad Dressing.

If you think common foods like broccoli, potatoes and mushrooms are all the same, then get ready to experience an incredible diversity beyond your imagination. It’s time to savor the flavor of specialty foods, unique varieties that bring a tempting array of intricate textures, brilliant colors, exotic shapes and exceptional flavors that are in a class by themselves.

Jazz up your potato salad with All Blue potatoes, add zip to salad dressings with horseradish, or capture your family’s attention with the subtle nutty flavor and apple-green color of spiraling Romanesco broccoli. Tantalize your senses with tomatoes in every hue, along with signature salads, gourmet cheeses or even fuzz-less kiwis.

So where can you find these specialty foods? My favorite place to go for a medley of heirloom varieties and specialty produce is the farmers’ market. You may discover a bounty of other specialty food items, like fresh herbs and gourmet cheeses, as well as homemade jams and jellies, baked goods, and free-range chicken eggs that make others pale in comparison.

Flavored honeys, delicate berries and mushrooms of distinction abound, along with local fresh-caught Georgia specialties such as catfish, clams and shrimp.

Discover for yourself just how specialty foods have become the "missing ingredient" to a virtual feast for the senses!