Recommendations for Local Food Gifts By Women

It’s already Thanksgiving week! This really marks that the holiday season is upon us. This year, I would like to share my recommendations for local food gifts – gifts that are edible that you can give to friends, family, co-workers that are edible and enjoyable for anyone. All of these items are also produced by local artisans, and on top of that these are all women owned businesses, so you are supporting female entrepreneurs. I was not sponsored by anyone I’m listing here  – I personally recommend all of these products in terms of deliciousness and want to share some amazing products by amazing women.

Marshall’s Haute Sauce

I highly recommend Marshall’s Haute Sauce. I think there’s 4 or 5 of their sauces I have in my fridge or pantry right now.  Owned by Sarah Marshall who created the company out of her kitchen, she runs the business with her husband Dirk Marshall. You can find the  sauces at several stores, such as New Season’s, Zupan’s, and more (including the Tender Loving Empire inside the PDX Airport! – see a list here).

She has created a variety of flavors, with Serrano Ginger Lemongrass and Red Chili Lime being some of the classics, as well as other types of sauces like Habanero Carrot Curry or Smoked Habenero Barbeque. I’m often collecting special edition sauces they make as collaborations with other makers or that are seasonal – I am hoarding some Limited Edition Gochujang (a collaboration with Kim Jong Grillin) and Whiskey Smoked Ghost (with Uncle Nearest 1856 Premium Whiskey), among others.

A post shared by Marshall’s Haute Sauce (@marshallshautesauce) on Sep 3, 2017 at 9:28am PDT

If these descriptions alone aren’t enough to persuade you, follow them on the beautiful Instagram accounts @marshallshautesauce and at @spicymarshall. This will keep you in the know of the latest new small batch sauce creation, as well as examples of ways to use the various sauces. If you visit Sarah’s website you will find some recipes using the sauces to also inspire you. And, you can stop by the Portland Farmer’s Market at PSU and other markets they visit (usually posted on their Instagram) to meet her yourself, and try some of her creations.

The great thing about the Marshall’s Haute Sauces line is there are so many ways to use them and you don’t have to like spicy food – they are great secrets to just add that extra oomph to any dish, be it cooked or in a burger or sandwich or even in a drink (hello bloody marys).

Italian Cuban: Cured Italian Meats + Provolone + Green Olive Salad + Lettuce + Pickled Calabrian Balsamic @marshallshautesauce . This sauce was created exclusively for @lardopdx . Sandwich available at both locations. Bottles of sauce available also at Lardo and on their website. We ❤️ this collaboration and want to thank everyone who comes by the market to tell us how special they think it is too! 📷: @alanweinerphotos

A post shared by Marshall’s Haute Sauce (@marshallshautesauce) on Jul 7, 2017 at 3:56pm PDT

In addition, somehow while still making her regular sauces and canning special edition sauces and collaborating with incredible makers in and  outside of Portland, Sarah also found the time to write a book! She recently released Preservation Pantry which teaches readers 100 recipes and overall concepts on how to use roots, tops, stems, and cores, basically every bit of your produce so there’s little to no waste. It’s not just all soups either or pickles – think Whiskey Apple Core Caramel or Carrot Top Hazelnut Pesto and more. So you know someone who does canning or is interested in canning or zero waste consumption, throw in this book as part of the gift along with Marshall’s Haute Sauce.

A post shared by Marshall’s Haute Sauce (@spicymarshall) on Oct 31, 2017 at 2:30pm PDT

Only Child Chocolate Co.

I recently discovered Only Child Chocolate at Nicky’s Wild About Game event this year, and I cannot stop thinking about Yana Yakhnes and her chocolates. First of all, look at how cute her packaging and the names of her chocolates are! The Sun and the Sea is a dark chocolate with with sunflower seeds and sea salt, or the Rosemary and Ginger Walk Into a Bar is a Milk Chocolate with rosemary and candied ginger.

And, even if you think you don’t like white chocolate, DO NOT make the mistake of not trying the Hedgehog in the Fog, a white chocolate with bergamot and black pepper. The name of this chocolate bar comes from a Russian cartoon from Yana’s childhood, and as a nod to the cartoon the flavor of bergamot references the tea the hedgehog wants to have with his bear friend.

In February for Valentine’s she also made an awesome Heartbreaker chocolate (available only seasonally) that is an anatomically correct heart that comes with a mallet you break to get to the romantic chocolate hearts inside made with rosemary and topped with candied ginger.  And recently for Halloween there were Oracle Boards (like ouiji board) chocolates!

Follow the Instagram @OnlyChildChocolateCo to find out about seasonal special chocolates and when she is doing a pop up shop. You can find Only Child Chocolates at a variety of stores (list here) including locations like Cacao, The Meadow, Candy Babel, World Foods, P and Q’s Market, and the Tender Loving Empire inside the PDX Airport. This really is a unique chocolate and is sure to impress whoever you gift the chocolates to – you just may want to buy two, one for them, one for you.

A post shared by Only Child Chocolate Co (@onlychildchocolateco) on Feb 13, 2016 at 11:54am PST

Oregon Coast Wasabi

For another super unique gift, how about a plant you will be growing AND eating? Previously known as Frog Eyes Wasabi and recently re-branded, Oregon Coast Wasabi is Jennifer Bloeser will ship you fresh wasabi from their farm. Currently the plants can only be purchased from their online store. If you are giving the gift and it will not be opened immediately, the site offers gift cards so they can get it shipped when convenient and Oregon Coast Wasabi will harvest it fresh to order to send.

You can harvest the leaves and stem several times – the leaves and stem taste faintly like the grated root does, but in a subtle way like a twist on watercress. To make wasabi for consumption is easy – just clean well and grate the rhizone portion, or you can chop the stem or eat the leaves raw or prepared in anyway you normally do kale.

Wasabi doesn’t just have to be for sushi – besides using the leaves for salads or sandwiches, consider mixing some of the grated wasabi into butter or creme fraiche, mixed into mashed potatoes, combined in salad dressing, add it to mayo for your sandwiches or for french fries or for your burger, a little pinch in a bloody mary, and more (she shares some recipes here). I met Jennifer when she was doing a demo at Zilla Sake, and the female chef and co-owner there (yay!) Kate Koo used the fresh wasabi in tamago, so think about adding it to eggs!

Once you start grating the wasabi root, it will last approximately two months in its ungrated state if it’s kept damp and cold in the refrigerator. Once you grate the wasabi, give it a couple minutes for the flavor to open up. After 15 minutes the flavor will have peaked and then start to fade in potency.

It’s so cool – there are literally only a handful of wasabi producers in the United States, and plants cannot be shipped from Japan (only the roots ready to be grated) so this really is an unusual gift for anyone who loves a little gardening or food. For foodie friends, tell them they are using the same wasabi as sourced by Nodoguro or Iron Chef Morimoto because they are!

Hot Mama Salsa

Nikki Guerrero makes small batch handmade salsas, hot sauces, and chili oils, and it this latter that I really want to spotlight as an unusual gift. Specifically, you need to seek out her Hot Mama Salsa – hand made small batch Medium/Hot Chilie Oil. The Smoky Coffee Chilie Oil is made from a blend of 4 Mexican dried chilies toasted in peanut oil with black garlic, ground coffee, and sesame seeds. This creates a deep smoky flavor to add to meats, mushrooms, toasted vegetables, add to soups, pastas, ramen, on raw or grilled oysters, and my favorite, to dumplings! Pair this with a dumplings recipe and date to make dumplings together and you’ve got quite a gift.

I bought mine at Broth Bar by Fire and Time when I was grabbing some bone broth, but you can also find Hot Mama Salsa at a few local New Seasons or Whole Foods, Green Zebra Market, and others including the Hollywood Farmers Market, PSU, Kenton, St Johns and King Farmers Markets where you can sample before you buy! Seriously though, that chili oil is freaking fantastic.

A proper snow day dinner. Green Chilie Corn Chowder with @hotmamasalsapdx Chilie de Arbol Chilie Oil. #snowday #itswhatsfordinner #soup #winterdinner

A post shared by Nikki Guerrero (@hotmamasalsapdx) on Jan 15, 2017 at 8:10pm PST

Et Fille Wines

I couldn’t possibly leave out wine could I? There are many wonderful women winemakers/owners in Oregon and it’s not possible for me to list them all. So I will just list one of my favorites – Et Fille Wines. This winery was established in 2003 and I have enjoyed really watching the winery grow, including their tasting room opening in Newburg last year, and new winery housing move  this year. This year owner and winemaker Jessica Mozeico had to endure the tragic passing of co-owner and winemaker of Et Fille, Jessica’s father (Et Fille means daughter – the father and daughter team founded Et Fille together). The daughter legacy may continue on though – Jessica also has a young daughter.

Every year for Thanksgiving I have been fortunate enoguh to enjoy a Et Fille Pinot Noir with our turkey and sides. Pinot Noir using sustainable farming is the Et Fille specialty, and I love tasting the differences between vineyards and years. I especially got a deeper education about this at one of their events where we had verticals of both at an event at the tasting room last year. Jessica is so knowledgeable and articulate at describing different years and soils and vineyards, and so down to earth and warm, so if you can get a chance to go to an event from their events listing, I highly encourage it.

Photo from the Et Fille Wines Facebook

 

What products do you know of that I may have missed that would make great gifts and support local and women?