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Ideas for Foodie Gift Basket...?

Started 1 year ago by RainyDay1235
Latest reply from HunterG

RainyDay1235
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Drew my SIL in the Secret Santa drawing. Thought this might be a nice gift. Can you help me come up with good, locally-made, non-immediately-perishable, vegetarian items? :)

Posted 1 year ago #
maplesyrup
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I was gonna say "The Swinery!" until I read the vegetarian part.

How about some high-end spices, sea salts, peppercorns, etc.?

Posted 1 year ago #
Meegan
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I'm not sure about the locally made part, but I bought a bunch of gifts down at The Spanish Table near Pike Place. They have great foodie things including all sorts of dried beans, grains, spices, and cool clay cookware.

Posted 1 year ago #
christopherboffoli
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This would be easier to answer without that second to last word. But a few things I can recommend off the top of my head:

HAZELNUTS:
Holmquist Farm (who are at the Farmers Market) produce some of the most wonderful hazelnuts I've ever tasted, sourced from their orchards in Lynden, WA. The dry roasted nuts would make a nice addition to any gift basket, as would the orange-honey flavored hazelnuts.

POTS OF JAM:
Though they don't promote it heavily, Bakery Nouveau has a delicious line of jams in ever changing flavors (including some savory). Chef Leaman often negotiates with local farmers for their perfectly ripe fruit. And he acquired his jam-making methods from a famous French jam maker. So he uses a European method which rests the jam to allow the natural sweetness to develop from the fruit (as opposed to adding a lot of extra sugar like American jams).

COFFEE/TEAS:
There are obviously many good local sources for whole bean coffee. Pioneer is perhaps the only West Seattle based roaster. My personal favorites are from Stumptown, Zoka and Lighthouse, which require a trip off the peninsula but are well worth it. I don't source my loose teas locally. But maybe someone who is more into tea can offer some advice on this one.

APPLES/PEARS/DRIED FRUIT:
See your local farmers market or grocer

CHOCOLATE:
Another item that we have no lack of here in Seattle is small, artisan chocolatiers. I really enjoy the hand-made chocolates and chocolate-covered salted caramels made in Seattle by Cadeaux Chocolates. (Cadeaux is the French word for 'gifts' and let's just say there's no false advertising here). They are available at Metropolitan Market in the Admiral district.

CHEESE:
There are a number of hard cheeses that are shelf-stable at room temperature. Parmigiano-Reggiano is just one. You might check out one of the cheese vendors at the Farmers Market or talk to the cheese counter at one of the local supermarkets.

CRACKERS:
Though from farther-a-field than Seattle, Lesley Stowe's Raincoast Crisps of Richmond, BC pair wonderfully with all kinds of cheese.

WINE:
As much attention as Oregon Pinot Noir gets, for my money a bottle of Washington Syrah will always take the cake. The folks at Bin41 or West Seattle Cellars will be able to steer you in the right direction. Or perhaps a small bottle of port (to go with the cheese and crackers) would work too. But don't let them talk you into a prosaic Napa Cab. Put your foot down for a Washington wine. Your SIL will love you for it.

PICKLES/PICKLED VEGGIES:
The Bootleg Canning Company (who sometimes are at the seasonal Highland Park Sunday Market) have a range of artisan pickles and pickled vegetables. You can find them on Facebook.

Posted 1 year ago #
Franci
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Williams and Sonoma or Crate and Barrel carry nice spreads and things that would be good in a gift basket or check out the offerings at one of the farmers markets here in West Seattle or Pike Place..; I've gotten some nice local honey at Pike Place.. Tipsy Olives or other stuffed olives; a nice tapenade or other preserved spread with some good crackers. Some good dark chocolate would also be good.

Posted 1 year ago #
austin
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I want to be on cjb's list, whoof.
A +1 for a bottle from Bin 41 or Beer Junction.

Posted 1 year ago #
westseattledood
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austin -

Nope - I want cjb to draw *me* for his secret santa. So watch out. ;)

Posted 1 year ago #
Bluesmom
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I love all the varieties of packaged salts at Met Market. Not fancy packaging, but reasonably priced, especially the truffle salt, which will make your foodie friend swoon..

Posted 1 year ago #
JoB
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there's a company that markets flavored olive oils in Pike Place market... the sampling alone is worth the trip

Posted 1 year ago #
MercyMoi
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Not local but some editor at Food & Wine magazine was on The Splendid Table [NPR] offering foodie gift suggestions. Her prediction for this year's rage is the "smoking gun" which I guess infuses drinks, meats, sauces, anything, everything. If your foodie SIL loves cooking in addition to eating, it's an idea to hip her to the scene's latest n' greatest. There were other suggestions, but that was the editor's #1 pick.

Posted 1 year ago #
HunterG
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Truffle oil and schmancy balsamic vinegar.

Posted 1 year ago #
JanS
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well, my daughter has been a canning fool this fall..today I sampled some of her pickles (hot and spicy), some beets, some spicy pickled veggies..yummmm...and her toffee and peppermint bark...wonder if she'd make you a deal ;-)

Actually, check out Husky Deli...they have some local honeys, great chocolates, other stuff in there that would go in a gift basket, too...it's a great place to browse in. And cheese...well, I see that they have my fave local cheese, Beechers...

Posted 1 year ago #
christopherboffoli
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Truffle oil is a scam.

Posted 1 year ago #
FullTilt
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Truffle oil is a HUGE scam. Wish I had thought of it though.

I would go for Cookies from local bakeries. Honey from the farmers market, and then everything else on CB's list.

I am really amazed that there are not more producers of durable goods in the Seattle area. Jams, hard candies, dried fruits, etc.

Oh! Ballard Soap, include that too!

Posted 1 year ago #
Garden_nymph
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CJB, Did you just HAPPEN to have those amazing pictures? I think winning the lottery would be meals w/ Boffoli for a week, massages by Jan S and Ross from Ola Salon as my personal stylist! Hey, one can dream right?!

I suggest gift certificates to World Spice Merchants near Pike Place Market, ube or coconut ice cream from Full Tilt, Theo curry chocolate and a nice bottle of Washington state wine.

Posted 1 year ago #
christopherboffoli
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austin & westseattledood: The list would have been so much more fun if meat products where allowed! :-)

Garden_nymph: Thanks. My archives have tens of thousands of key-worded images. So I can usually find things quickly and, in this case, I thought it might illustrate my recommendations a bit more colorfully. So no, I didn't have to shoot anything on the spot. It was handy too that a couple of those images were already hosted on the WSB servers as they had been used in past coverage.

Posted 1 year ago #
miws
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C'mon Christopher, admit it, the RCKbA (Replacement Computer Keyboard Associaation, is paying you a stipend to post food pics, so that the rest of us ruin our keyboards by drooling all over them, thereby having to continue buying replacements! ;-)

Mike

Posted 1 year ago #
RainyDay1235
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Yum - thanks. I will hit the farmers market this Sunday, as well as Husky Deli and Met Market...good stuff!

Posted 1 year ago #
WorldCitizen
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You could put a card in it promising never to call her a "Foodie" again.

Posted 1 year ago #
Keith
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I always do 'stocking stuffer' shopping at Husky Deli for their eclectic collection of bottled sauces, cookies, candies and the like.

Posted 1 year ago #
RainyDay1235
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This article is helping me a bunch too...
http://www.nwsource.com/shopping/home/gourmet/gifts-under-25-food-wine-and-entertaining

So I'm also going to include "The Meat Lover’s Meatless Cookbook" - written by a West Seattleite!

Posted 1 year ago #
lizru
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I've done this type of gift basket for the folks in your life who say "I don't want any stuff!" (not so helpful mom!). My favs are also Husky and the Met. Mama Lil's pickled peppers a big favorite (and local), Theo's chocolate (same). And Christopher, I've sold those hazelnuts at the farmers markets. The Orange/Honey flavored ones ... num num!

Posted 1 year ago #
HunterG
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It may be a scam, but do you admit its tasty?

Personally I'd be less than thrilled (even though appreciative) if I got a basket with jam and nuts.

Posted 1 year ago #
lizru
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HunterG: Gift buying is highly contextual. Some people you buy food for, others the latest gadget from the hardware store (one of my favorite Xmas shopping places). Personally, I'd be less than thrilled (though appreciative) of jumper cables.

Posted 1 year ago #
alki_2008
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Just for the sake of fact-checking...Pioneer is not "based" in West Seattle. They roast in Cle Elum, and have a cafe in West Seattle.

Lighthouse is more local than Pioneer, as Lighthouse does their roasting in Fremont. At least they're in the same county as West Seattle.

Posted 1 year ago #
christopherboffoli
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alki_2008: Thanks for the clarification.

HunterG: Yeah, I admit to buying it too. I love it on popcorn. But every time I have to fork over $16 for what is essentially 2 oz. bottle of plain olive oil with a few drops of petrochemically-derived faux truffle fragrance I have to cringe. And that little flake of cheap Chinese truffle skin they put in the bottom of the bottle isn't fooling me.

Posted 1 year ago #
JanS
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Christopher...save up your pennies :)

https://www.oregontruffleoil.com/

on sale at $30/bottle, 2 for $50....such a deal !

Posted 1 year ago #
HunterG
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LOL Christopher!

I understand that gift giving is contextual, lizru. I guess, personally, I am just not a jam person. Of course, chocolate and wine is great! (Can we ship alcohol in Washington?)

Posted 1 year ago #
SarahScoot
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Oh, HunterG, speaking of wine and chocolate: my boss's boss (VP of my department) put together huge wine and chocolate gift baskets for my coworker, boss, and me for Christmas this year. Champagne (yes, champagne, from the Champagne region of France), mead, wine, and an ale, along with a variety of chocolates, some crackers, organic fruits, and a pair of earrings by a local jewelry maker. And the basket is even nice (one of those square handleless ones I can reuse as home decor).
I was so thrilled to see such a wonderful gift on my desk this morning that it almost - almost! - made me forget about the drunk and extremely smelly "Rasta man" on my bus in this morning. ;-)

Posted 1 year ago #
HunterG
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Now that is an AWESOME GIFT! You have a very nice boss.

Posted 1 year ago #