My 5 Favorite Ingredients From Schacht Groves and How I Use Them

Let’s talk a little about supporting local businesses. By now you might know supporting local is very important to us at the Vero Beach Podcast, but it’s not always practical. For instance, as much as I love Schacht Groves, I can’t afford to buy all my groceries there. So instead, I know I can buy a few high quality items there a month. It’s important to remember that there are a lot of ways to support a local business: share their social media posts, tell friends and family about their products/services, and of course, when possible, spend money there. 

Part of why we do what we do, is to try to help people develop the mindset of thinking of a local business first. There are times when you’ll need a birthday present, and you have $25 to spend. I hope you’ll think first of what you can get locally as opposed to Amazon or Walmart. We all want these types of shops and experiences to be available, and we’re the only ones who can do something about it. 

When I shop at a specialty shop, I look for things that are better quality or unavailable at Aldi, which is where I do the bulk of my grocery shopping. These are my top favorites from Schacht- I hope you enjoy them too. 

Rainbow Carrots

I love cooking with carrots! From a simple roasted carrot with fresh dill, to ginger carrot soup, a fresh carrot is hard to beat, especially from Schacht Groves. They’re so fresh, they’re actually juicy. I can’t remember a grocery store carrot actually feeling juicy as you peel/chop/shred it! I’m kind of a sucker for purple produce, and these take color to another level. There are white, yellow, orange, and purple carrots in the mix, and the purple ones have sunny yellow centers. Don’t get me wrong, if there’s any flavor difference between the rainbow carrots and the regular orange ones, it’s VERY subtle, but color just makes everything more fun. I could see them being really popular with kids! 

Lately I’ve been loving this salad that’s gone viral on TikTok for its hormone balancing qualities. Even if I weren’t desperately in need of hormone balancing, I would still eat this salad! It’s vibrant, satisfying, and flavorful. I don’t actually use a recipe, I just use a potato peeler to cut a few carrots into ribbons, dash a little vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, and seasoning depending on what your mood is. My friend, Rachel, suggested Ras El Hanout, which is a warm spice blend used in Moroccan dishes. It’s fabulous. You could also stick with salt, pepper, and a bit of cinnamon. Sometimes I just make a jar of vinaigrette, so I don’t have to think about that part for a while. You could save some time by tossing your carrots into a food processor, too. The ribbons are just awfully pretty, so I do it that way. 

Salmon Filets

I really can’t figure out why, but this is absolutely the best salmon I’ve ever had- store-bought or in a restaurant. I’ve been kind of ambivalent about cooking salmon in the past, because I just couldn’t make it great, no matter what cooking method or seasoning concoction I tried. This salmon changed all that. I just season it with salt and pepper, sear it in olive oil in a cast iron skillet, drizzle a little hot honey, and finish it in the oven. It’s phenomenal.

Spring Mix

I don’t know if this will excite you as much as it does me, but the reason I love their spring mix so much is because they include edible flowers in the mix. Just look at how fancy my plating looks with flowers! We eat them, too. They just add a special touch, with a delicate flavor profile. Also, I feel like a little bunny when I eat them. 

Orange Juice

I’m going to say something controversial and potentially inflammatory…I don’t really love orange juice. CORRECTION: I didn’t love orange juice until I tried fresh juice from Schacht Groves. I bought it planning to use it for a nice orange vinaigrette or marinade for a pork roast. All sorts of big plans…and then we just drank it all. It was worth it.

Santa Barbara Soup Mixes

Ok, I guess this isn’t technically an ingredient, but these mixes are so good. High quality ingredients, minimal effort, excellent flavor. The last time I was there, they had Tortilla Soup, Thai Lemongrass, Moroccan Quinoa, Quinoa Enchilada Casserole, and Vegetable Bean Chili. And now I’m hungry. 

Before You Go, Neighbor…

Remember that shopping local doesn’t have to mean doing everything local. It’s about building habits, finding your favorites, and making intentional choices when you can. For me, grabbing a few special items from Schacht Groves each month is one small way we support local. If you haven’t stopped by lately, maybe this is your sign. And if you’ve got a go-to item I missed, I’d love to hear about it!