ISSUE 40, HOLIDAY GIFTS, Part 3: 50 Ideas
Rare and Wonderful Foods for Gift Giving
Abada Date—Discovered in the California Imperial Valley in the 1930s, an American original, and on the ARK OF TASTE. On sale right now from Shields Date Garden:
https://shieldsdategarden.com/product/3-lbs-abbada-dates-bagged/
Artichoke Pickles—Lowcountry Produce Company. Spicy Pickled Jerusalem Artichokes. They’ve got the classic crunch and a kiss of spice.
https://www.lowcountryproduce.com/store/p28/Artichoke_Pickles.html
Mrs. Sassard’s Jerusalem Artichoke Relish—first went on the market 101 years ago and is a table staple in many a Lowcountry household.
https://sassards.com/ols/products/jerusalem-artichoke-relish
Avocados—So you are tired of the Haas and Fuerte (or their offshoots such as Bacon) that dominate the market. You want to serve an avocado toast that transforms your guests’ sense of what an alligator pear can be. Maybe a legendary Wilson, or a long-neck, or the red avocados of Central America, or maybe the fat Marcus Pumpkin Avocado. Where do you go? Click on the Link.
https://miamifruit.org/products/longneck-avocado?_pos=12&_sid=f1a2ef8ec&_ss=r
Benne Seed Oil—the favorite salad oil and cooking oil of the 19th-century South combines a high smoke point for clean frying and a tahini tinge to your salad dressing. Oliver Farms in GA can supply your needs from landrace benne, seeds less bitter and less wet than modern sesame. ARK OF TASTE
https://oliverfarm.com/store/benneseed-oil-ansonmills
Boiled Cider-Wood’s Boiled Cider is the by word of this famous syrup made from reducing sweet cider. Time to make a cider pie. ARK of TASTE
https://www.woodscidermill.com/PRODUCTS/BoiledCider.html
Paddlefish Caviar—L’Osage Caviar harvested from this ancient cousin of the sturgeon comes from the sustainable population of paddlefish in the lower Mississippi basin. If political difficulties with Iran and Russia are making Beluga and Sevruga too expense to procure, this will more than serve. ARK of TASTE.
http://www.osagecaviar.com/
Duncan Grapefruit—the standard for flavor among Grapefruits and the first named variety grown in the United States. The clarity and pungency of flavor has to be tasted to be believed. ARK of TASTE
https://www.hollieanna.com/duncan.php
Sapelo Island Red Peas—grown since the 1700s in the islands and a mainstay of Geechee gardens, these are descended from Cornelia Bailey’s peas on Sapelo island. These put the red in red pea gravy. ARK of TASTE
http://www.georgiacoastalgourmetfarms.com/index.html
Sourwood Honey—Appalachia’s pride, with a distinctive and complicated flavor with three kinds of sweetness. ARK of TASTE
https://ashevillebeecharmer.com/honey-types/sourwood-honey-blog/
Guinea Flint Corn Meal—a richly sumptuous carotene rich meal that makes killer grits or Cush Cush, or a skillet bread of magical presence. Marsh Hen Mill [the former Geechie Boy Mill) is the supplier of choice.
https://marshhenmill.com/collections/pantry/products/guinea-flint-grits
Newtown Pippin Apples—a legendary eating and cider apple; in Virginia it is also called the Albemarle Pippin. As a puppy Maestro lept to snag one of these when a box was on the table.
https://www.thefruitcompany.com/newtown-pippin-apples
Bradford Watermelon Rind Pickle—made from the famous heirloom Bradford watermelons by the Bradford family. ARK of TASTE
http://bradfordwatermelons.com/product-category/pickles/
Dried Chiltepin Peppers—the pungent Native pepper of the Southwest and Florida, these peppers will elevate your Salso and brighten your rubs. 50,000 Scoville units, so it is a serious pepper and a staple of Southwestern cookery. ARK of TASTE
https://www.sphinxdateranch.com/native-seeds-chiltepins-1-8
Hayman Sweet Potatoes—the white potato, with a distinctive minty taste, beloved of cooks on the eastern shore of Virginia. ARK of TASTE
https://sweetpotatoesgrow.com/sweet-potatos-for-sale
Paw Paw Fruit—America’s largest native fruit and a wonderful custardy treat, the Paw Paw is coming back into public notice after long neglect.
http://www.earthy.com/Fresh-Pawpaws-from-Earthy-Delights.aspx
Razor Clams—the meats make splendid chowders and fry extremely well. Hand harvested and a bit pricey, but memorable.
https://www.islandseafoods.com/shop/shellfish/alaska-razor-clams
Black Walnut Meats—make the fudge that will rewire people’s brains, or make the date nut bake that will bust the holidays wide open.
https://shop.black-walnuts.com/
Louisiana Mirlitons—the locally adapted chayote squashes that form a distinctive feature of creole and Cajun cuisine. ARK of TASTE
https://shop.rouses.com/
Sea Island Benne Seeds—not modern sesame with its over 60% oils content, but the flavorful West African descended landrace, famous for baking and confections.
https://ansonmills.com/products/54
Frozen Fiddlehead Ferns—Steamed and sautéed, one of the North’s great delicacies. Sometimes available only for a scant two weeks fresh in Spring, the frozen fiddleheads extend the pleasure throughout the calendar.
https://wholeearthharvest.com/shop/greens/frozen-fiddlehead-ferns/
White Sonoran Wheat Flour—a beautiful pastry flour preserved in the Southwest. ARK of TASTE.
https://www.haydenflourmills.com/shop/white-sonora-all-purpose-flour
Manoomin/Wild Rice—The Ojibwe make a portion of their harvest available for public sale to support tribal projects.
https://nativeharvest.com/products/manoomin-wild-rice
True Red Cranberry Bean—An Abenaki legume that became a Maine staple, these differ from the European Barlotti beans that are often call cranberry beans in parts of the United States. ARK of TASTE
http://greenbarngardens.com/catalog/i10.html
Mesquite Pod Flour—the sweet flour made from grinding the pods of mesquite has a low glycemic level, so is great for diabetics. With a complex rich flavor with a chocolate overtone, it makes splendid pancakes and is employed in a host of SW dishes
Smoked Sturgeon Filet—Marshallberg Sturgeon Farm in NC has revived an old southern industry, using farm raised sturgeon rather than wild caught (given their protected status).
https://thecaviarfarm.com/shop/smoked-sturgeon-filet-add-on/
Dried organic rainier cherries—the most popular of the yellow sweet cherries preserved and intensified in flavor by drying.
https://www.chukar.com/organic-rainier-cherries-no-sugar-added6.html
File Powder—The famous Choctaw Indian thickening herb made from the dried leaves of sassafras. The difficulty these days is finding a supplier who doesn’t add thyme to the mix. Pure sassafras is what should be in the jar.
https://www.savoryspiceshop.com/spices/gumbo-file-powder
Damson Plum Preserves—an old world plum with great depth of flavor. Used to make the famous southern damson pie.
https://junetaylorjams.com/conserves/conserves.htm
Carolina Gold Rice—the signature of classic southern one pot dishes.
https://ansonmills.com/products/23
https://www.carolinaplantationrice.com/store/products/Carolina-Plantation-Gold-Rice.html
https://geechieboymill.com/product/carolina-gold-rice/
Cane Syrup Vinegar—the acid sugar balance in cane syrup vinegar is interesting, and there is a decided country tang to it. One could do a 50 gift ideas devoted just to vinegars.
https://www.steenssyrup.com/cane-vinegar-details
Strawberry Salsa—Sweet with the heat. Several companies offer versions, but I like those that maintaining chunkiness. Too many artisan made offerings cook it too smooth.
https://www.alstedefarms.com/farmstore/strawberry-salsa/
Turtle Meat—Today the terrapin and many of the sliding turtles are protected, so if you wish an old style turtle stew with Madeira, you have to use snapper meat. There are several suppliers:
Maple Syrup—depth of flavor, mouth feel, viscosity—there are many attributes that elevate some syrup over others. For me a clarity of taste is important and resonance in the mouth. My pick: Mead and Meads dark robust.
http://meadandmeads.com/
Gravenstein Apple Sauce—found in the Pacific Northwest and one of the best regional American sauces.
https://northcoast.organic/product/organic-gravenstein-apple-sauce/
Hidatsa Red Bean—one of the creamiest and most flavorful of the Native landrace beans found in North America. Beautiful as well.
https://www.ranchogordo.com/collections/heirloom-beans/products/red-hidatsa-bean
Haden Mango—an American original bred in South Florida and famed for its boldness of tropical flavor.
http://www.underthemangotree.crespoorganic.com/2016/05/31/heavenly-haden-mangoes/
Tupelo Honey—from the tropic South, refined by bees from the nectar found in the blossoms of the tupelo tree.
https://www.lltupelohoney.com/
Benton’s Smoked Bacon—it’s got that hickory thing goin’ on.
https://shop.bentonscountryham.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=hscb
New Mexico Hard Shell Pinon—not the easiest to process, but the tastiest pine nuts on the planet. Does not need to be refrigerated.
https://pinenut.com/pine-nuts-sale/buy-pinon-pinenuts-shell.shtml
http://www.newmexicopinonnuts.com/About_New_Mexico_Pinon_Nuts.htm
Stone Crab Claws—the first American effort at sustainable seafood harvesting was the “one claw harvest” of stone crabs in Florida.
https://www.georgestonecrab.com/?gc_id=1666276520&gclid=Cj0KCQiAwf39BRCCARIsALXWETyv65QFFpiR2UIsztlX9pdcwH7MMnffTIKhdRnTt-Npt3frKWf2ctwaAuJ4EALw_wcB
Ground Cherry Jam—a fresh and different taste—something worth pursuing.
Alligator Boudin—the white sausage made from the “other other” white meat. Deep Louisiana.
https://www.comeaux.com/comeaux's-alligator-boudin-1-lb
Key Lime Juice—needed for the iconic pie. The true juice is yellow. Any green juice is faux.
https://keylimejuice.com/product/key-west-lime-juice/
Quail Eggs—beautiful, intensely nutritious (3-4 times that of chicken eggs), and charmingly small.
https://manchesterfarms.com/quail-eggs/
Birch Beer—an old classic soda.
https://www.kegworks.com/johnnie-ryan-birch-beer-12-oz-bottle
Mangalitsa Lard—the very best quality of lard.