Growing up Meggen Wilson’s mother valued hosting guests while serving a home-cooked meal. It was a passion instilled in her that she has since begun sharing with others online. 

Originally from Tangerine, Florida, Wilson moved to the Flathead Valley in 2002. She started her blog, Pine and Palm Kitchen, in 2017 sharing recipes and food travel stories.  

As part of her endeavors, she makes homemade vinegars, shrubs, vanilla and cleaners at home using local ingredients. It was something she wanted to see if others would like.  

And they did, she says with a smile.  

Thus began her latest project, Wild Montana Foods, which offers small-batch vanilla bean products.  

“I really wanted to lean into making everything extremely local,” she said while cutting vanilla beans in a kitchen at Dancing Spirit Ranch just outside Whitefish to make into a vanilla paste. 

Vanilla beans are at the heart of Wild Montana Foods, a main ingredient that Wilson uses in almost all her products. To create vanilla extract, the process includes combining vanilla beans with alcohol and giving it time to soak. 

“I found honey that works, spirits that work and I get the beans from co-ops based in the Rockies,” Wilson said, talking about her vanilla extract-making process. It took her a while to get the formula down, she said, until she found the sweet spot.  

Wild Montana Foods offers vanilla bean paste, vanilla maple syrup, vanilla extract and spiced vanilla extract, vanilla sugar and espresso vanilla sugar.  

The spiced vanilla extract includes cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves to provide a light spice to the vanilla flavor. To make the vanilla sugar, vanilla beans are dried in the sun and infused into the sugar for 30 days, creating a delicate sweetener to add to a favorite beverage or use in baking.  

Different from other vanilla extracts, Wilson makes her vanilla with honey, rather than corn syrup or glucose syrup. The honey, sourced locally from Great Northern Honey Company, paired with a custom spirit produced by Glacier Distilling Company, helps elevate the natural notes of vanilla that come through in the beans.  

Every batch of vanilla extract ages for 12 to 18 months 

Wilson says that the vanilla extract elevates any baked goods or recipes. Vanilla acts as an enhancer, she said, so it’s important to use good-quality vanilla beans. Wilson sources her beans abroad, her current batch from Madagascar, although she said that vanilla beans from Uganda are her favorite because of their richness.  

She remembers seeing someone cut into a vanilla bean during a television show. It was a moment that encouraged Wilson to investigate ingredients used in cooking.  

She also makes homemade vinegar and cleaning products utilizing herbs from her garden. Giving people a natural alternative to products is important, Wilson says.  

In addition to online, Wilson sells her products at various farmers markets and is in store at Trovare and Markus Community Market in Whitefish, Glacier Distilling Company in Coram, the St. Regis Travel Center and hopes to continue to expand across the state.  

Wilson would like to see Wild Montana Foods grow. However, to do so she needs a bigger space where she can scale her business. She is currently in discussion with groups to hopefully get a grant to build a large, shared kitchen space. 

“We need a place where we can grow,” she said. “And right now there is no place in the Valley like that.”  

While getting certifications from the state, Wilson was told that no one had ever pitched selling vanilla products. The thought encouraged her, knowing that her vanilla extract could be one of the first, if not the first, Montana-made. 

“It took me a while to get this right,” Wilson said. “Seeing it come together has been incredible.”  

To learn more, visit wildmontanafoods.com. For recipes and Pine and Palm, visit pineandpalmkitchen.com.  

Reporter Kate Heston may be reached at 758-4459 or [email protected]. 

Homemade Vanilla Coffee Creamer 

1 pint half and half 

1 TBSP Wild Montana Foods Vanilla Bean Paste   

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

1/4 cup granulated monk fruit or sweetener of choice 

In a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid, add in milk of choice, vanilla paste, cinnamon and sugar of choice.  

Seal tightly, shake vigorously to combine. Store in the fridge up to 2 weeks. 

To use: Shake jar well before using. Measure out the desired amount of creamer into a microwave-safe mug or glass.  

Heat creamer for 25-30 seconds. Using a frother, froth the creamer until whipped and smooth and tripled in volume. 

Pour hot coffee into your coffee cup and pour hot creamer over top. Enjoy! 

Vanilla Bean Poundcake 

For the Cake 

200 grams  or 1 cup sugar 

225 grams  or 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour 

4 large eggs, room temperature 

1 tsp kosher salt 

1 tsp baking powder 

1 tsp Wild Montana Foods vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract 

1 cup salted butter, softened to room temperature, approximately 65°F.  

65 grams confectioner’s sugar 10X sugar, sifted 

1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract 

1 tsp milk or heavy cream add more milk if needed 

Butter and flour the baking pan and line with a parchment paper sling to help lift the cake while cooling. If desired, hold the parchment paper in place with metal binder clips. 

Preheat oven to 325°F. 

Cream butter and sugar. Cut the butter into large chunks and place in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed to soften, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add sugar. Beat the sugar and butter on medium-low speed until the sugar is fully combined with the butter. Increase speed to medium and continue creaming for 5-7 minutes, stopping to scrape down the bowl and the paddle 2-3 times. The butter and sugar will be fluffy and have a light texture. 

Add eggs and vanilla. Add in the eggs ONE AT A TIME and beat for at least 60 seconds before adding the next egg. Finally, add vanilla paste. If the batter is looking curdled- no worries- this is normal. 

Add flour and dry ingredients. Turn the stand mixer to low and add half the dry ingredients. Mix just until fully combined, then stop and scrape the bowl down. Use a silicone or rubber scraper to mix in any final bits of dry ingredients from the sides of the bowl or beater. Do not overmix! You will have a dry and dense cake. 

Bake. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Smooth with an offset spatula. Pro tip: Cut a stick of butter into a long, thin slice and place it down the center of the cake before baking. Bake on the middle rack in a 325°F oven for 65-75 minutes until a cake tester or bamboo skewer (do not test with a toothpick- it is too short) inserted in the center comes out nearly clean. 

Cool. Set the cake pan on a wire rack to cool 15-20 minutes, then use the parchment sling to lift the cake out of the pan to finish cooling. Let cool completely before adding icing. 

For the Glaze 

65 grams confectioner’s sugar- sifted 

1 heaping teaspoon Wild Montana Foods Vanilla Bean Paste 

1 tsp milk or heavy cream 

Sift confectioner’s sugar into a bowl. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla paste and 1 teaspoon of milk or cream and whisk together until smooth. You may need to add more powdered sugar or milk to reach a slightly thick consistency. Do not skip sifting the sugar- once lumps are in the confectioner's sugar, they are impossible to remove even with a whisk. 

Use an offset spatula or silicone spatula to gently spread the glaze over the top of the loaf cake. Let the cake and glaze rest to form a crust, or serve it immediately. 

The number one tip I’d offer is to buy a digital scale to weigh your dry ingredients. I almost never just measure flour by volume anymore, but rather by weight. Humidity, altitude, and so many factors can affect how much goes into your measuring cup.  I find weighing provides more consistent results. Whenever I get a “ bad” review for a recipe and I ask how they measured the flour, I always get the same answer- “I just scooped and dumped.”  

This is a sure-fire way to ruin a cake.  

The other tip I have is to scrape down your mixing bowl and paddle attachment or whisks often. This keeps your cake light and fluffy and prevents over-mixing, which can lead to a dry cake with a dense texture.   

    Vanilla bean poundcake made with Wild Montana Foods vanilla. (Photo courtesy of Meggen Wilson)
  

    Meggen Wilson, of Pine & Palm Kitchen, chops Madagascar vanilla beans while making her small-batch vanilla products on Thursday, July 24. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Wild Montana Foods Vanilla Bean Maple Syrup by Meggen Wilson, of Pine & Palm Kitchen, on Thursday, July 24. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Meggen Wilson, of Pine & Palm Kitchen, mixes in raw honey while making her small-batch vanilla products on Thursday, July 24. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Meggen Wilson, of Pine & Palm Kitchen, holds a Madagascar vanilla bean while making her small-batch vanilla products. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Two different blends of All-Purpose Household Cleaner by Meggen Wilson, of Pine & Palm Kitchen, on Thursday, July 24. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Meggen Wilson, of Pine & Palm Kitchen, scrapes the seeds or "caviar" from a Madagascar vanilla bean while making her small-batch vanilla products on Thursday, July 24. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider