What’s In The Box? December 15-21

Home for the Holidays
‘Tis the season for family and friends to gather around and celebrate the most magical time of year—allow us to lend a helping hand with any soirée you might have planned with an array of lovingly-crafted accoutrements that range from tart-sweet cranberry sauce and housemade cornichons to freshly-baked multigrain bread, stollen fruit loaf and festive gingerbread figurines. Also included in this holiday lineup: dried Porcini mushrooms, imported pasta, farm-fresh eggs, chocolate-coated cherries and seasonal produce that includes carrots, baby red beets, Huckleberry Gold potatoes, crisp apples, beautiful pears and peppery arugula greens. From our family to yours—happy holidays!

Here’s what you’ll find in your box this week:

Pasta Liguria Foglie D’Ulivo

The Minaglia family, head of Pasta di Liguria, has been producing organic Ligurian specialties for over 30 years. All their pastas are made with local and organic ingredients and pure spring water. This foglie d’ulivo pasta is named for the “olive leaves” that it resembles with the versatile shape adapting well to a variety of sauces.

Dried Porcini Mushrooms

Italian for ‘little pigs’, these meaty dried Porcini mushrooms foraged by expert mushroom hunter Jeremy Faber and his team at Foraged & Found Edibles are rich in taste, imparting a pungent, woodsy flavor to any number of dishes, from risotto to soup.

Piranske Soline Salt Flower

These tiny pyramid-shaped crystals come from the famous European Piran salt pans, harvested using a special webbed spatula to remove them gently from the surface of the salt fields, where they form in a thin layer. A wonderful seasoning, this world-class fleur de sel enhances the natural flavors of fresh produce.

Gingerbread Cookies & Stollen Fruit Loaf

Freshly-baked gingerbread men and traditional German Stollen fruit and almond loaf, both from our favorite local bakery.

Multigrain Bread

Also crafted by our favorite bakery in nearby Snohomish, this healthy freshly-baked loaf is made with locally-milled Shepherd’s Grain flour and seven different whole grains, plus a hint of honey and toasted sunflower seeds.

Two Birds One Stone Blanc

This juicy, rich and well-balanced white was crafted by the Two Birds One Stone French winemaking team, who traveled the world, gaining experience in South America, South Africa and Australia before settling back in France. The resulting wine is fruity, easy to drink and reflects both Old and New World styles of winemaking; serve chilled to fully enjoy its vivid finish.

Farm Fresh Eggs

Our small flock of heritage breed laying hens are on an early-to-bed, later-to-rise schedule with the short daylight hours. As they spend more time snug in their coop, the “girls” are enjoying an extra helping of grain to supplement their diet, continuing to give us fresh eggs in beautiful shades of brown, beige and cream.

Cranberry Sauce

This farmhouse favorite infuses homey, warming spices with sweet-tart cranberries; it is lovely served as a side with holiday turkey, or spooned over warm Brie cheese as an appetizer.

Cornichons

Our housemade cornichons are made using a traditional French recipe, crafted with Mathilde cucumbers and tarragon, with a grape leaf added to each jar during pickling to keep these petite, crunchy snacks nice and crisp.

Dick Taylor Chocolate Coated Cherries

Made using a traditional coating pan, the chocolatiers at Dick Taylor layer upon layer of their award winning 65% Belize Dark Chocolate over organic dried tart cherries grown in Michigan to craft this delicious treat. Chosen for their complex flavor, these tart cherries are both sweet and sour and lend balancing notes to the rich, earthy dark chocolate. Each small batch is finished with a light dusting of organic cocoa powder.

Fresh Organic Greens

Peppery arugula greens.

Seasonal Fruit

Golden Russet and Newton Pippen apples, plus red D’Anjou pears.

Seasonal Organic Vegetables

This week’s produce selection also includes carrots, onions, baby red beets, Delicata squash, Wicha Oaxacan heirloom winter squash and Huckleberry Gold potatoes.

Fresh Garden Herbs

Thyme, rosemary, garlic and Italian parsley and fresh bay leaves from the walled garden at Bella Luna Farms.