Made in Central New York: Food gifts with local flavor

It's not too early to talk holiday gift giving, is it? Wegmans has had Christmas on display since before Halloween. The annal Buy Local Bash is coming up Nov. 25. Some local retailers have already hosted their holiday open houses.

 

So, no. It's not too early. The holiday season is upon us.

 

My annual, food-focused, buy-local holiday gift list includes salt, chocolate, coffee, tea, wine, barbecue sauce, tableware, a dining discount card and more. Got a hard-to-shop-for person on your list who doesn't want any more "stuff"? Give the gift of a local food experience. Read on.

 

Note: There's no "one-stop shopping'' destination for local food gifts. Stores with a good selection of locally made items include (but are not limited to) 20/East in Cazenovia, Nelson Farms Country Store and Production Facility in Nelson, The Farm Store at Heritage Hill Brewery in Pompey and the newly opened Pure Market and Eatery in Auburn. It's always fun to browse and sample at the Buy Local Bash and at SKY Armory's Night Market (Nov. 30). And don't forget the Central New York Regional Market, open on Saturdays year-round.

 

THE LIST:

 

Salt City Flake Salt, Syracuse Salt Company: Syracuse earned its nickname "the Salt City'' thanks to the salt springs deep beneath the earth at the southern end of Onondaga Lake that gave rise to a booming salt industry in the 1800s. Salt hadn't been produced here in more than a century until Syracuse Salt Co. brought the tradition back -- on a small scale. Brine pumped from a well more than 280 feet beneath the ground in Syracuse's Inner Harbor area is slowly evaporated to create snowy white Syracuse Flake. Local chefs and home cooks are loving it. Use it as an ingredient salt or as a finishing salt -- the flavor is clean, bright and distinct. Price: Starting around $7. Click here for more information.  

 

Maple Barbecue Sauce, Dutch Hill Maple: This sweet, tangy and slightly smoky barbecue sauce starts with maple syrup from the sugar bush at family-owned Dutch Hill Maple, in Tully. What a great gift or stocking stuffer for the person on your list who likes to fire up the barbecue all winter. Price: $10. DHM also offers a Maple Grillin' Set ($14) that includes a bottle of BBQ sauce and a jar of their tasty maple seasoning/rub (we love it on salmon). Click here for more information.

Photo credit: Dutch Hill Maple, via Facebook

 

 

Bean-to-bar chocolate, Nostalgia Chocolates: Nostalgia Chocolates, based in Syracuse, specializes in small-batch, single-origin "bean to bar" chocolate made from cacao beans from Madagascar, Mexico, Ghana, Peru and other countries. These are rich, dark, handmade, artisan chocolate bars, meant to be slowly savored. Price: Starting around $9. Click here for more information.

Photo credit: Nostalgia Chocolates, via Facebook 

 

Spiced cherries, Farmer Street Pantry: 'Tis the season for over indulgence. Don't forget to eat some fruits and vegetables. Farmer Street Pantry has introduced spiced cherries to its line of locally made products. The cherries are grown in New York State and simmered with NYS maple syrup, Finger Lakes red wine, balsamic vinegar and black pepper. Serve them with soft cheeses, on ice cream and yogurt and with roasted meats. Price: Starting around $6.75. Click here for more information. 

Photo credit: Farmer Street Pantry

 

Beeswax food covers, Rainforest Spice Company: The world would be a better place if we all used less plastic -- and less plastic wrap for food storage. Tim Hoda of Rainforest Spice Company in Taberg offers a natural alternative to plastic wrap made with beeswax from local hives, cotton, jojoba oil and tree resin. I purchased a three-pack of the cheery, bee-themed covers from Tim at the Fayetteville Farmers Market this summer and use them to cover bowls, casseroles, cheese, fruit, etc. They're washable, reusable and gift-able. Price: $15. Click here for more information. Or call Tim at 315-292-8812.

 

Local wine, Grace Tyler Estate Winery: Grace Tyler Estate Winery is a small, family-owned winery in Constantia, on the North Shore of Oneida Lake, specializing in cold-climate wines made from grapes grown on site. Richard and Elizabeth Hamilton established the winery last year after a decade of growing grapes and making wine as a hobby. A bottle of their Marquette Rose (rose-blush hybrid), Diamond or Brianna would make a great gift for a holiday host or hostess. Price: Starting at $12.99. Click here for more information or call 315-382-5830 to check on availability. 

 

Syracuse China, Smith Housewares and Restaurant Supply/Smitty's Curiosities: Everyone who lives in Central New York should own at least one piece of Syracuse China. The company shut down in 2009, after more than a century of making dinnerware in Syracuse, but you can find Syracuse China all over the Internet -- and you can admire and purchase it in person upstairs at Smith Housewares and Restaurant Supply, in the area known as Smitty's Curiosities. There, you'll find thousands of pieces of antique, vintage and more contemporary Syracuse China in dozens of patterns. Click here for more information. 

 

Bag of beans, Ella Coffee Co.: Wake up and smell some local coffee with an interesting pedigree. The Ella line of coffees takes its name from Paul de Lima Coffee Company founder Ella Barber de Lima, a coffee industry pioneer who started out roasting beans from South America in her Syracuse kitchen. Several blends of the premium coffee are available (including a decaf). Purchase direct at the Paul de Lima Factory Store in Cicero. Price: Starting at $9.99. Click here for more information. 

Photo credit: Ella Coffee Co., via Facebook

 

Finger Lakes Tea: A road trip to Finger Lakes Tea Company promises a gift or two for the tea lover on your list. Owners Mark and Lily Lin grow some of their own cold-hardy teas off Route 318, near the Finger Lakes Outlet Mall, and import dozens of varieties of black, red, white, green and herb/flower teas from China. Uncertain what to get? Relax and enjoy a tea tasting (three teas for $3). The tea shop also features teapots and tea sets. Price: Varies; loose teas are sold by the ounce. Click here for more information. 

Photo credit: Finger Lakes Tea Company, via Facebook

 

Farm to Fork 101: Mark Pawliw created Farm to Fork 101 as a way to connect local farmers and chefs with consumers -- and vice versa. Farm to Fork offers an ongoing series of monthly pop-up dinners that spotlight locally sourced and produced food, as well as occasional cooking classes at restaurants. Recent dining events have included a "zero-waste dinner'' at Chuck Hafner's Farmers Market and a wood fire dinner at Eden, a restaurant in downtown Syracuse where all food is cooked on an open hearth. What could be better than the gift of local food -- and a night out? Price: Varies. Click here for more information.

 

Eat Local CNY Card: Who doesn't like to save money? The Eat Local CNY card is a discount card that can be used at dozens of restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, bakeries and even breweries in Syracuse and Central New York. Show your card and save $5 when you spend $25 or more. The card is valid through December 31, 2020. Price: $20. Click here for more information (including a list of participating restaurants). 

 

Gourmet balsamic vinegars, Clean Slate Farm: Dave and Joanne Lenweaver, owners of Clean Slate Farm, take balsamic vinegar from Modena, Italy and combine it with ingredients like their own homegrown garlic, Dutch Hill maple syrup, fresh ginger and California Mission figs to create small-batch, artisan vinegars. No extracts, no artificial flavors -- a special gift for the salad lover or gourmet cook on your list. Price: $10. Click here for more information. Related note: Clean Slate Farm introduced its newest products, mild-flavored Koroneiki olive oil and basil olive oil (both from California) at the Junior League's recent Holiday Shoppes event. It's in limited supply right now, but keep an eye out for it. 

Photo credit: Clean Slate Farm

 

Note: Photos by Margaret McCormick unless otherwise indicated.

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Margaret McCormick]

Thanks, Dave! This is one of my favorite projects each year.

[Dave Lenweaver]

Terrific post with great ideas...any one of them! Love your blog, keep writing!