Founder’s Story

I grew up as a picky eater, but the one thing I never turned down was any kind of fresh, raw produce, even if it was new to me or looked a little funny. Kumquats? Best thing ever. Uglifruit? Give it here.

Each summer and fall, my dad would take us to the U-Pick farms and I’d eat my fill of fresh peas, green beans, and berries. Our home garden, which he taught us how to plant and tend, was full of carrots and apples, and so many zucchini that my sister and I were assigned to drop some at the neighbors’ doorsteps, ring the doorbell, and run.

As my health changed over time and I discovered new things about my body, including allergies and intolerances, it became harder to be food happy. I frequently found myself feeling pretty profound food sadness as I went out to eat and looked over menus with only one thing I could have, and that thing wasn’t what I wanted at all. I ended up having to modify dishes in ways that took out anything that was fun just so I could eat.

During this time, I bought a dehydrator to deal with a rather prolific plum tree. That fruit leather experiment didn’t go so great (a little too heavy on the leather part of the experience), but for reasons I can’t even remember, I decided to stick some chopped-up onion in there one day and see what would happen. 

What happened was that I finally had something I could have on my salads and soups that replaced the intense flavor and light crunch of the croutons I’d craved. I tried other fruits and veggies and started using them on more and more dishes. The bright colors and crunchy textures brought back that sensation of “food happy.” Plus, since they were dehydrated, I could always keep something around to liven up whatever I was eating without an extra trip to the grocery store.

In early 2024, my dad passed away after a lifetime of loving food and sharing that love with others. In order to share his legacy of food happiness, and especially the joy of farm-direct produce with others, Obvious Ingredients was born.