I buy virtually all of our herbs and spices from Atlantic Spice Company in Massachusetts.  I’ve been dealing with them since moving east. (Prior to that, I bought everything at their sister-store, San Francisco Herb Company in – you guessed it – San Francisco.)

Great quality, great prices, and excellent customer service.

I needed a few new spice jars and wandered onto their website.  It was “Oh boy!  New Stuff!

I’ve bought French Green lentils there forever – $2.50/lb – but found a slew of other new products I just couldn’t live without.  Like Green Bamboo Rice for $5.00/lb.  Okay – a LOT more than I normally pay for rice, but I couldn’t resist.  The web site states: Bamboo rice is short grain white rice infused with pure fresh bamboo juice. This product is all natural. When cooked, it is pale green and tends to be quite moist causing the grains to stick together. This rice is great for sushi.

It sounds like way too much fun.  Sold.

And spelt.  The website does incorrectly call it spelt / farro, but farro and spelt are different grains.  Similar, yes.  But different.  Oh well.  Still good.  It will  make a great rice-like side dish, and I’m sure it will also make some fun salads. $3.25/lb.  I’m looking forward to this.

And then another new, fun, grain jumped out at me.  Black Barley.  How cool is that?!?  I love barley.  The website states:  The shape of this hearty grain resembles a coffee bean and cooks to a glossy purplish-mahagony color. It is wonderful in soups and stuffings or alone as a beautiful alternative to rice (Because of a somewhat chewy texture, it is best mixed with other grains.)

It will make another great side dish and another great salad base.  I can see a lot of fun things happening with this.  And only $2.75/lb.

And then my old standby, lentilles du Puy, or French Green Lentils.  There are a bazillion different types of lentils out there, from brown to yellow, red to black.  They have different flavors, different characteristics, and different uses.  I like the French Green Lentils because they hold their shape and are great for lentil salads.

Did you notice the common thread with all of these?!?  Other than the green bamboo rice, it’s salads.

I think I’m going to have a lot of fun with them.