THINK – AND SHOP – OUT OF THE BOX WHEN INTRIGUING FLAVORS ARE WHAT YOU CRAVE

There’s no doubt that supermarkets and big-box stores offer one-stop convenience and lots of choices — although with the recent supply-chain problems that’s not a given anymore — but if you want to give your culinary mojo a kick-start, consider exploring the many farmers markets, local shops and ethnic stores that abound in the region. And then spend some time hunting and gathering — you know, the way people used to shop before the big boys cropped up on every corner. 

Obviously, you won’t buy your cleaning supplies, paper products and toothpaste at these establishments, but you are likely to find fresh, locally grown produce and meat, scratch-made baked and canned goods as well as exotic ingredients from abroad that will add depth and adventure to your repertoire
and plate. Like what, you ask? 

How about ground elk burgers for dinner? Homemade mozzarella, locally grown tomatoes and basil plus intensely flavored (and lab tested for quality) extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar for a spectacular caprese salad? Sticky rice with mangoes for dessert? These and many other interesting dishes are possible if you take the time to gather the proper ingredients from specialty stores that offer them. 

So let’s start with that ground elk. Carnivores will delight in the abundance of choices to be found inside the small storefront known as Jimmy P’s Butcher Shop & Deli. Situated on U.S. 41 in Naples and on Bernwood Drive in Bonita Springs, this family owned and operated butcher shop sells an impressive variety of high-quality meat, including wagyu beef, heritage Berkshire pork, rabbit and the aforementioned ground elk. During one excursion to the Naples store, I spied packages of ground camel as well. 

Jimmy P’s makes its own smoked andouille, bratwurst, blood sausage, lamb merguez and pork bangers. They smoke their hams and make wagyu corned beef brisket. In search of lamb or chicken demi-glace? Yep, they’ve got that, too, along with black winter truffle butter. 

While Circle C Farm in Bonita Springs might not have quite the range of meats that Jimmy P’s does, it makes up for that with its humane approach to raising the meat it sells. It features grass-fed and grass-finished beef, pastured pork, along with bones, broth and soup made from the same sources. If you are looking for eggs and meat from humanely pasture- raised chickens, they do that, too. 

They also sell fresh Gulf of Mexico seafood, including spiny lobster and stone crabs, and some exceptional unfiltered avocado honey. This is the source for exacting chefs like Harold Balink, who owns Harold’s in Fort Myers, and Vincenzo Betulia, who serves Circle C’s chicken and eggs in his French Brasserie Rustique, Osteria Tulia, and Bar Tulia in Naples. Melissa Akin, executive chef at Cielo on Sanibel, is also a regular here. 

Ms. Akin, whose island restaurant was not open in the weeks following Hurricane Ian, has some other favorites, too. “I would have to say any of the local fresh markets would be my choice for fresh ingredients,” she says. “Farmer Mike’s is a great one for local produceMarket.” 

Farmer Mike’s in Bonita Springs is one of those places you should check out if you haven’t. Almost every chef I talk to loves it, and for good reason. The vegetables are raised there, meaning they are fresh. You can pick some yourself or choose from those that are already harvested. And if you’ve never picked your own flowers, try it out at their pick-it-yourself garden, providing the finishing touch for a meal at home. For something a touch fancier, check out DeRomo’s Gourmet Market & Restaurant at the Promenade in Bonita Springs. Stock up on all sorts of things that you can cook — or use in place of cooking: fresh-baked bread; cheese, including fresh mozzarella made in the store; specialty grocery items such as truffle oils, pastas, marinades, seasonings; and an array of produce, meat and seafood. 

Gloria Jordan, the peripatetic chef/owner of La Trattoria Cafe Napoli in Fort Myers, enjoys wandering the region for great ingredients for cooking in her home and her restaurant. Among her favorite spots: Lawhon’s Grocery & Meat, an old-fashioned butcher, deli and grocery store in North Fort Myers. “I love shopping for quality American meat in this store,” she says. “You can also find great local pickles and preserves, country-style.” 

For Asian products, Ms. Jordan heads to Leaf Asian Market on U.S. 41 in Fort Myers. “It has a great selection of Asian vegetables, spices, and fresh noodles,” she says. Her other favorite spot for exotic ingredients is the Indian Grocery Store & Restaurant on U.S. 41 in Fort Myers. “I love this place,” she says. “They have awesome products, including vegetables typical of India. You can also find fresh foods made by mom and pop.” 

Punta Gorda home cook Lou Brancaccio is very picky about the ingredients he uses. The retired newspaper editor embraces his Italian heritage particularly in the kitchen, where he makes his own pizza, pasta, cioppino, lasagna — well, you get the idea. 

So when it’s time to stock up on bal- samic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, Mr. Brancaccio strolls down to nearby Fishermen’s Village and into Bella Balsamic & the Pressed Olive. Unlike the balsamics and olive oils you find on most grocery store shelves, these are fresh and intensely flavored. The olive oils are extra virgin cold-pressed and are sent to a third-party lab for analysis to ensure their quality. Yes, they cost a bit more than the supermarket varieties, but Mr. Brancaccio offers this philosophy: “Not unlike special-occasion restaurants we might go to with a spouse or good friend, special-occasion olive oil is a thing for some of us. Bella Balsamic provides this. 

“Think of the various notes one might find in a good wine and consider the same opportunity in olive oil. And remember: When cooking with olive oil and you’re ready to plate, splash some of the good, fresh stuff on, right at the end.” Bon appetit! 

Where to find 

• Bella Balsamic & the Pressed Olive, 
  Fishermen’s Village, 1200 Retta Esplanade, Punta Gorda
  941-505-1707
  www.bellabalsamic.net
   
• Circle C Farm Store, 
  10441 Kentucky St., Bonita Springs
  239-776-5802
  www.circlecfarmfl.com
   
• DeRomo’s, 
  26811 South Bay Drive, Bonita Springs
  239-325-3365
  www.deromos.com.
   
• Farmer Mike’s U Pick Farm,
  26031 Morton Ave., Bonita Springs
  239-498-4576
  www.farmermikesupick.com
   
• Indian Grocery Store & Restaurant,
  3853 Cleveland Ave., Fort Myers
  239-936-2123
  www.Indiangroceryfortmyers.com
   
• Jimmy P’s Butcher Shop & Restaurant, 
  1833 Tamiami Trail N., Naples; 866-998-8927
  25010 Bernwood Drive, Bonita Springs; 239-221-7428
  www.jimmypsbutchershop.com
   
• Lawhon’s Grocery & Meat, 
  9491 Bayshore Road, North Fort Myers 
  239-543-1255
  www.lawhonsgrocery.com
   
• Leaf Asian Market, 
  4300 Cleveland Ave., Fort Myers
  239-288-5368; on Facebook.