I first met Keith Finger in 2014 at the Vandalia Gathering Arts and Crafts Fair at the Capitol. He and his wife, Kim, were creating some very special food as they developed their business, Mountain Momma Organics. I immediately knew this would be a match made in our heavenly mountains.
I was drawn to the natural packaging, which included the mountains in the logo and a tagline stating, ?Healthy Food to Feel Good About.? What more did I need to give some of the packaged foods a try? Everyone likes to have something to grab from the kitchen cabinet that?s easy and healthy to make.
I was more than impressed. I found a salad dressing mix, trail mix, granola bars and a soup mix that appealed to me. They were all great.
I have created and sampled a number of Mountain Momma Organics products in the last couple of years and have not been disappointed.
I purchased the DeepHoller Taco Kit to create and sample, as well as the Black Bean Soup Mix to make the Black Bean Avocado Summer Salad.
The taco kit was very easy to make, and the combination of the seasonings and the portabello mushrooms, onion, corn and lime juice is delicious. The texture is very satisfying. I could see adding rice and making a stew from this mix in the winter.
The Black Bean Soup mix is delicious and filling by itself, as well as in this newfound use as a salad. I made the dressing without the cilantro.
Since I have fresh basil and oregano growing in my garden, I added them as a replacement with some cumin and cayenne pepper. I kept chopped cilantro available to place on the top. I also did not stir the dressing into the mix of beans and vegetables. I kept it separate for each person to choose how much he or she preferred.
The recipe suggests serving on greens, but this certainly could also be used as a dip or in taco shells.
Keith and Kim are continuing to add new items and ideas to their line. The taco kit is new, and the website offers summer salad recipes for their soup mixes.
Recently I saw Keith at the FestivALL Arts and Crafts Fair in downtown Charleston and struck up a conversation about the history of the company. It was time to learn and share more of their story.
Kim and Keith moved to West Virginia six years ago from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where they both had successful careers in the medical field. They came to West Virginia to create simpler lifestyles and to get closer to nature.
Their business is located in Ritchie County, near Parkersburg. They named their farm, Almost Heaven Farms after their love for John Denver. That alone would have sold me.
They began their business by selling chemical-free vegetables at local farmers markets, and evolved that into healthy and nutritious pantry foods.
Read the complete story at:?http://www.wvgazettemail.com/life-food-and-dining/20170727/wv-culinary-team-mountain-momma-organics-crafts-chemical-free-meal-kits
