Food Gifts for the Holidays

'Tis the season once again. During the holidays, my thoughts typically turn to things I can make in the kitchen to share with friends and family. Here are some ideas that go beyond the usual cookies and other baked goods. Make no mistake, we love cookies and other sweets. These suggestions are intended to broaden the scope of your food-themed gift giving.

Jams, Jellies, Conserves and Preserves
Almost as popular as baked goods, canned fruit spreads and preserves make wonderful gifts. Missed the chance for perfect berries at the farmer's market last summer? No worries. Make pomegranate jelly with bottled juice, sugar and powdered fruit pectin. Use in-season citrus fruit to prepare citrus curd, then process it in small jars for giving. You can find recipes for many such items with a quick Google search.

Pickles
Another category of preserved foods that we don't often consider, pickles can be made from just about any vegetable that will not become mushy due to the heat of processing. If you did not make pickles last summer, consider using vegetables that are in season now, such as winter squash, carrots, and beets. If you can a batch in the next week or two, they will be ready to eat by New Year's Eve.

Dry Products
One of my favorite gifts to give when I was just learning to cook was a bean soup mix. Go to the nearest store with a bulk section and purchase small amounts of 2 or 3 legumes and one grain, such as barley or wild rice. Also buy some dehydrated onions and garlic, bay leaves, and sun-dried tomatoes. You can get creative with additional flavorings. Dried thyme, oregano, marjoram or basil, along with dehydrated vegetables such as carrots, can also be included. Use your imagination. Purchase decorative jars for your gifts, or use canning jars from the grocery store. Combine these ingredients in whatever amounts suit you, and then fill small jars with the mixture. Tip: Don't overdo it on the grain, or the soup may become too thick. A tablespoon of dry wild rice is plenty for a half pint of soup mix. Because the components are dehydrated, a half-pint of the soup mix will make 4 to 6 servings. Be sure to include the instructions: Soak the mixture in the refrigerator overnight in enough water to cover by one inch. The next day bring slowly to a boil, adjust the heat and simmer about an hour and a half, or until the largest beans are tender. Serve with crusty bread for a warming supper.

If you grow and dry your own herbs, make teas or seasoning mixes for gifting. Herbal product recipes abound.

Tinctures
Make homemade vanilla extract with purchased vanilla beans, vodka, and decorative bottles. You can find recipes for this and other tinctures online. Kick up the flavor with Tennessee whiskey or another liquor instead of vodka. Whatever you select, be sure it is 90 proof or above, for maximum preservative effect.

And one more idea...
Visit your favorite food purveyors. Look for products you'd love to try, but haven't yet. Buy two of everything. Make a gift basket for a special friend with one of each of the products. Keep the other as a holiday gift to yourself.

Mushroom Season

The cool, damp weather of autumn typically brings on the appearance of numerous varieties of wild mushrooms in the southern Appalachians. One tree on the University of Tennessee campus, for example, provides a flush of oyster mushrooms in time for Christmas dinner, almost like clockwork. In the rich forests that cloak our mountains, numerous other wild varieties appear, including the apricot-scented chanterelles, and fat, shiny porcini, along with several lesser-know ones. One should never harvest or consume wild mushrooms without being absolutely certain of their identity. If you forage, do so in the company of an experienced forager. Or purchase foraged mushrooms at your farmer's market.

Grocers tend to stock more exotic mushrooms this time of year, not only because many wild species are in season, but also because consumers are more willing to splurge on food purchases during the holidays. Chanterelles, for example, can command $40 per pound, or more. Fortunately, you only need a small amount, 2 or 3 ounces, to create a stunning dish. Chanterelles go beautifully with seafood and cream. Porcini, "little pigs" in Italian, are marvelous in stews and rich, dark gravies.

If you want to lessen the strain on the budget, opt for cultivated mushrooms. If you search around a bit, you may be surprised at how many you can find. Besides white button, crimini and Portobello, all of which are actually the same species of fungus, you are likely to encounter oyster, shiitake, king oyster, beech, enoki, maitaki, and several others. The color of the mushroom can be a guide to using it in the kitchen. Brown mushrooms, such as crimini and shiitake, work well in rich dishes with red meats, while white ones, such as buttons, enoki and common oysters, go better with chicken, seafood and vegetable dishes.

Absent the availability of fresh mushrooms, go with dried ones. Many varieties are available, and they are all handled in the same way. Place the dried mushrooms in a heatproof bowl and cover them with an inch or so of boiling-hot water. Allow to stand at room temperature until the water cools to warm, then remove the mushrooms, squeezing any excess liquid back into the bowl, and cut off any tough, woody portions. Discard these, but keep the soaking water, after straining it through a fine sieve to remove any grit. Proceed with your recipe as if using fresh mushrooms, and use the soaking water in the sauce, as if it were stock.

Basic Mushroom Soup
Nothing in this recipe is set in stone. Feel free to make changes, based on the ingredients available to you. If using dried mushrooms, measure after soaking and chopping.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onions (scallions, leeks, shallots, etc.)
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped mushrooms, any variety or a mixture
3 cups vegetable or meat stock, including soaking water, if using
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1/4 cup heavy cream or whole milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped fresh parsley (or other herb), for garnish

Heat the vegetable oil in a soup pot and add the onions, celery and mushrooms. Cover, lower the heat and sweat the vegetables until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the liquid(s) and thyme sprigs, adjusting the heat to maintain a slow simmer. Cook the soup for 30 minutes, then add the milk or cream. Do not allow the soup to boil, but keep it hot. Taste and correct the seasoning. Serve, garnished with a few sprinkles of parsley.

East Tennessee Beer

There was a time, easily within living memory, when you could not buy beer in many parts of East Tennessee. Now, however, you can brew it in a lot of places, so many, in fact, that there is even a book on the subject. You can find it easily online.

I live near Knoxville, more or less in the center of the East Tennessee region, and the largest city. We have so many brewers and brewpubs, it is becoming difficult to keep up. Among my personal favorites are Crafty Bastard Brewery, located in Emory Place, just north of downtown off Central Avenue. Alliance Brewing, located south of the river on Sevier Avenue, is another great brewer with a pub on premises. I also like Fanatic Brewing's Tennessee Blonde, and Local Motion IPA by Blackhorse, who donates a portion of sales to the Legacy Parks Foundation. I could go on, there is Hexagon, Saw Works, Schulz Brau, and probably two or three new ones by now that I have not yet heard about.

Expanding our horizons outside the region, we find the Washington County is producing some mighty good beer. Yee Haw Brewing, in Johnson City, is available throughout much of the area, and they make a truly fine range of brews. From Jonesborough, Tennessee's oldest town, comes Depot Street Brewing, with, among several others, Loose Caboose Lager and an IPA that is among the best examples of the style that I have had the pleasure to try. These are a little harder to find in Knoxville than Yee Haw, but the specialty beer stores have them.

These are but a few examples. Many more craft brewers can be found throughout East Tennessee. Besides enjoying their products by the bottle, why not include them in your holiday party snacks, too? Here is a recipe for a beer cheese ball. It is based on one published years ago in the Knoxville News-Sentinel. You won't need a whole bottle of beer for this recipe, but we assume you can find another use for the remainder. You can make the cheese ball extra special with regional cheeses, too, such as Sweetwater Valley Cheddar. Any cheese that grates well can be used.

Please note that I receive no compensation for my food and beverage recommendations, which are based solely on my personal shopping and dining.

Beer Cheese Ball

This is based on a recipe originally submitted to the Knoxville News-Sentinel, by Becky Swann, Jefferson City, TN. While you can use any beer you like, a rich, not-too-bitter ale works very well. The cheese ball will keep in the refrigerator for one week. Save time at the holidays, and make it ahead. Wrap in plastic wrap as directed. Chill. Then wrap in two layers of aluminum foil and freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator the day before your party, and bring to room temperature about an hour before guests arrive. For an interesting and attractive variation, use a mixture of chopped nuts and chopped fresh parsley to decorate the cheese ball.

Makes one cheese ball

1 cup chopped green onions, white and green parts

10 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, or regional cheese of your choice

16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Local craft beer of your choice
Chopped nuts of your choice, about 3/4 cup

Finely chop the green onions. Shred the Cheddar cheese and combine in a large bowl with the onions. Add cream cheese, garlic, and Worcestershire. Using an electric mixer, combine the ingredients with enough beer to just moisten. Add the beer by tablespoons until you have a moldable consistency. Shape into a ball, then roll in the chopped nuts to completely coat. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator.