Here are three ideas for snacks to satisfy you after school, during the game and while you’re working at your desk.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Sourdough crackers and spreads
Kirsten Chervenak founded Gatherings in 2021 to make it easy for her customers to enjoy delicious pairings of handmade crackers and spreads as they gather with family and friends. She started her company with herbes de Provence crackers that reminded her of a trip to Paris. Our introduction was when we tried her bestselling flavor, olive oil and sea salt. She’s gone on to create crackers with other flavors, including cinnamon and pecorino Romano with black pepper. The crackers are crisp, 4-inch-long rectangles, rich with the flavor of the whole wheat and rye flours they’re made from, and sturdy enough for dipping. She also makes fresh ricotta from whole milk and heavy cream, perfect for spreading on crackers. You also can try her peach rosemary ricotta, kimchi pimento cheese or hummus-like Buffalo black-eyed pea dip, all made in a Decatur commercial kitchen.
$8 per 4-ounce bag of crackers; $7 per 10-ounce container of ricotta or Buffalo black-eyed pea dip. Available at the Decatur, East Atlanta Village, Alpharetta and Avondale Estates farmers markets and gatheringsshop.com.
Carolina sausage dip
Jim Millican of Big Delicious Brand, based in Raleigh, North Carolina, grew up cooking alongside his dad, who favored food with “big, delicious” flavors. So, when Millican founded his company in 2017, that’s what he named it. He developed three dips and spreads to satisfy hungry sports fans and party goers, beginning with a classic North Carolina dip: cream cheese mixed with tomatoes, green chile peppers and pork sausage. Served warm, it’s just right for scooping, and our taste-testers loved it with the scoop-shaped corn chips that Millican recommended. He went on to create a pulled pork barbecue dip and a pineapple and country ham spread. Not content just to scoop or spread his products, he has dreamed up dozens of ways to serve them, including as a topping for baked potatoes, a sauce for pasta, a filling for quesadillas and — perhaps our favorite — in making Southern poutine. The possibilities are endless.
$8.99 per 8-ounce container; $16.99 per 16-ounce container. Available at Lucy’s Market, Kelly’s Market, Savi Provisions – Post Riverside, the General Store at Serenbe and bigdelish.com.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Sunflower hemp butter
Allergies to peanuts and tree nuts seem to abound these days, so, when you want a creamy sandwich spread, or something to use as a dip for a snack of apple slices, many people are turning to seed butters. Once Again, based in Nunda, New York, produces a range of spreads, including almond, cashew and tahini (made from sesame seeds), as well as three varieties of sunflower butter — lightly sweetened, unsweetened and one that includes hemp oil. The company also makes peanut butter in a dedicated facility. We tried the sunflower seed butter that includes hemp oil, which is high in the essential fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6, as well as vitamin E, carotene and minerals. Sunflower seeds already are a great source of vitamin E. The butter was lightly sweetened, very creamy and easy to spread on a piece of sourdough toast. Wanting to try something different, we also mixed some with oats, coconut flakes and chia seeds, from a recipe on the company website for hemp sunflower omega bites. Now, we have a snack we can feel good about indulging in.
$7.59 per 16-ounce jar. Available at Sprouts and Kroger. Information: onceagainnutbutter.com
Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on Twitter and @ajcdining on Instagram.
About the Author
