Cornmeal
Stone-ground yellow cornmeal, coarse and unsifted, the way cornbread was made before anyone thought to fuss with it.
What It Is
This is whole-grain yellow cornmeal, ground coarse and left unsifted, which means it keeps more of the corn's natural oils and flavor than the finely milled stuff. It comes from organic, non-GMO corn grown locally, so the milling is about as short a trip from field to bag as you can get.
The coarse grind gives baked goods a heartier, slightly gritty texture that many cooks consider the whole point. It also means the meal can go stale faster than refined flour, since those oils are still present and alive.
What To Do
Cornbread is the obvious move: use a ratio of about one part cornmeal to one part flour, add an egg, some milk of choice, a little fat, and bake it hot in a cast iron skillet. The coarse grind loves high heat. It also works for dusting a pizza or bread dough to keep it from sticking, or stirred into boiling salted water for a simple, satisfying pot of grits.
Store it in a sealed container in the fridge or freezer to keep the natural oils from turning. It will stay fresh for several months that way.
