Paralegals & Legal Secretaries

Back in 1987, Elaine Fosse wanted to serve her family a salad dressing that didn't contain the additives and preservatives that make up the ingredient lists on many popular name brands.

High-fructose corn syrup, polysorbate 60, monosodium glutamate, propylene glycol alginate and artificial colors are just a few of the ingredients on salad dressing labels that would make anyone question their appetite.

So Fosse decided to fix the problem the best way she knew how - she started experimenting in the kitchen and began making her own salad dressing recipes. And now more than 20 years later, Fosse is bottling and marketing her own line of Fosse Farms salad dressings and marinades that were recently picked up by the natural and organic Whole Foods store chain.

Fosse says her first creation was a raspberry dressing, which her family and friends thoroughly enjoyed - so much so that the dressing became a popular request at dinner parties. Then in 2004, she brought a couple bottles of her dressing to a bake sale fundraiser and "orders started pouring in." A paralegal for the Pacific County Prosecutor's Office for the past 12 years, Fosse says her salad dressing business has picked up so much speed that she's had to change her office hours.

Fosse Farms currently has two product lines - organic and all natural. Using Washington grown herbs and berries, Fosse flavors her own vinegars, which she says is the main reason her dressings taste so good. When she was first starting her business venture, Guy Glenn and Linda Normandin generously donated some of their own cranberries for her to use in the kitchen.

In addition to our little coastal rubies, she also uses blackberries, raspberries, garlic and pure, extra virgin Greek olive oil. By utilizing nature's vibrant flavors, she has created a product that is salt-free, soy-free, dairy-free and vegan; contains less sugar than its mass-produced counterparts; and is certified as gluten-free and kosher. Fosse Farms is certified organic by the Department of Agriculture.

In addition to the cranberry, blackberry and raspberry dressings that Fosse uses on salad, pasta, vegetables and meats, Fosse Farms also makes an herbal Provencal, which she says is great for chicken, fish or a Greek yogurt dip. She also has used her dressings to replace mayonnaise in her potato salad recipe.

Fosse's dressings and marinades can be found at the Cannon Beach, Ore., Raymond and Hoquiam farmers markets; the Cranberry Museum in Long Beach; Pioneer Grocery in South Bend; C by the Sea in Seaside, Ore.; Grandma's Treasure Chest in Grayland; Savory Faire in Montesano; The Buttery in Cannon Beach; at seven Northwest area Whole Foods locations; and numerous other stores in Olympia, Kent, Tacoma and Federal Way.

For more information, or to place an order, contact Fosse Farms at 360-942-3027, or log onto their website at (www.fossefarmsinc.com).

Source: Chinook Observer