Region teems with tasty gift-giving ideas

Those of you with backyard gardens or a knack for jamming, canning, candy-making, bacon-curing and other crafty arts, we salute you. Especially during the holidays, when you kindly share your handcrafted goodness with the rest of us.

Those less handy, never fear. This region we call home teems with foodstuffs worthy of gift-giving, from Salumi salami, fresh peppermint bark and granola at West Seattle's Bakery Nouveau and peanuts from Yakima's Alvarez Farm to longtime goodies such as Chukar Cherries, Almond Roca, Cougar Gold cheese and smoked salmon.

To wit, we present some inspiration for local, food-themed gift baskets of your own. Find even more gift ideas via your local grocer, farmers market, eatery, gourmet shop and Evergreen state-centric stores including Made in Washington and Exclusively Washington.

And a word for food safety -- if you are presenting a basket with items that need to be kept refrigerated, be sure to tell the recipient.

PUGET SOUND CHEF BASKET

Volterra Salt: from Volterra restaurant in Ballard (in fennel and porcini, $18 per jar, www.volterrarestaurant.com)

Rub With Love: Sauces, glazes, marinades and spice rubs by Seattle restaurateur Tom Douglas ($6.95 and up, www.tomdouglas.com)

Boat Street Café Pickles (Seattle): Figs, red onion, prunes and raisins (about $8 per jar, boatstreetpickles.com)

Kathy Casey's Dish D'Lish (Seattle): Artichoke Pepper Olive Spread ($6.99 per jar, www.kathycasey.com)

SNACK-HAPPY BASKET

Sahale Snacks (Seattle): Nut blends and glazed nuts (about $5 per bag and up, www.sahalesnacks.com)

La Panzanella (Seattle): Croccantini artisan crackers (about $6, www.lapanzanella.com)

Mount Townsend Creamery (Port Townsend): Seastack cheese (about $25 per pound and up, www.mttownsendcreamery.com)

Mama Lil's (Seattle): Pickled peppers (about $7 per jar and up, www.mamalils.com)

Salumi (Seattle): Artisan cured meats, including salami, coppa, prosciutto and lomo (price and availability varies, www.salumicuredmeats.com)

SEAFOOD BASKET

Fishing Vessel St. Jude (Seattle): Canned albacore tuna, $3.85 and up, also in dill, garlic, jalapeño and more flavors, www.tunatuna.com)

Seabear (Anacortes): Smoked salmon (starting around $15, www.seabear.com)

Ivar's (Seattle): Clam chowder (exclusivelywashington.net)

SWEETS BASKET

Dahlia Bakery (Seattle): Mini coconut-cream pies ($2 each, www.tomdouglas.com)

Mighty-O Donuts (Seattle): Ciniminis doughnuts ($5 per sack, www.mightyo.com)

Fran's Chocolates (Seattle): Caramel, chocolate and raspberry sauce ($25 for three or $8.50 each, www.franschocolates.com)

Chukar Cherries (Prosser, Benton County): Chocolate-covered cherries and nuts ($9.75 per bag, www.chukar.com)

BREAKFAST BASKET

Maury Island Farms: Strawberry-rhubarb or marionberry jam ($6 per jar, www.goodjam.com)

Local honey

Sticky Fingers Bakeries (Spokane): Scone mix ($5.95 per bag)

Lopez Island Farm: Apple-cider syrup ($4.50 per bottle, www.lopezislandfarm.com)

Choice Organic Teas (Seattle): $3.85 per box, www.choiceorganicteas.com

Your favorite local coffee

Snoqualmie Falls Lodge: Pancake and Waffle Mix (about $4 per box, www.snoqualmiefalls.com)

OTHER BASKET THEMES

Beverage basket: Filled with local hard ciders, microbrews, Dry Fly Distilling gin and vodka from Spokane, wines and sparkling fruit beverages

Grains basket: With Shepherd's Grain Stone Buhr all-purpose flour (from the Columbia Plateau) plus organic whole-grain emmer (farro) and old-world cereal blend (emmer, dark Northern rye and brown flax seed, for porridge) from Winthrop's Bluebird Grain Farms

Seasonings basket: Add Johnny's Seasoning Salt (Tacoma), BaconSalt (Seattle) and Seattle Seasoning Salt from Two Snooty Chefs (Port Orchard)

BASKET SUGGESTIONS FROM LOCALS

Lori Matsukawa, King 5 anchor

Market Spice Tea (Seattle)

Fuji apples from Wenatchee

Chukar Cherries

Cabernet or pinot grigio from Bookwalter Winery (Richland)

Fresh dahlias and straw flowers from Pike Place Market

Stewart Rose, Vegetarians of Washington

Theo Chocolate (Seattle)

Local apples and blueberries

Bumblebar organic snack bars (Spokane Valley)

Small Planet Tofu (Newport)

Mighty-O Donuts

Simbree granola (Seattle)

Lisa Dupar, caterer, owner, Pomegranate Bistro

Lopez Island Farms apple cider syrup

SaltWorks Espresso Brava sea salt (Woodinville)

Victor's Coffee (Redmond)

Wild blackberry honey and marionberry jam

Theo Chocolate and Fran's sea salt caramels

Karen Gaudette: 206-515-5618 or kgaudette@seattletimes.com

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