The range of sundries that Scott and Lindsay Meyer produce on their Jacksonville farm not only support other small family farms, but also speak the region’s dialect fluently—a ruby-red Mayhaw shrub, Creole tomato jelly, rice-flour fish batter. This year they introduced pecan oil, made by cold-pressing raw Georgia pecans, and then…well, then mostly getting out of the way. “I decided that to make an oil that really captured the flavors of Georgia-grown pecans, I needed to simplify the process,” Scott says. The finished product has a pleasingly light and ethereal taste, with only a fleeting suggestion of nut—Scott employs it both for finishing salads and pan-frying fresh fish. But his favorite use? “Drizzle it over some micro greens, add a pinch of salt, toss it up, and graze like a buffalo.” Not only is the oil versatile, but it’s also better for you—high in omega-3 fatty acids, and lower in saturated fats than either olive or corn oil.
>Pecan oil, $30 from congareeandpenn.com
MORE MADE IN THE SOUTH:
> Food winner: Milton’s Local
> Food runner-up: The Naked Pig Meat Co.
> Food runner-up: Congaree and Penn
> Food runner-up: ’Chups Craft Condiments
See all winners and runners-up
