The Box from Chef Matthew Accarrino
The end of the year is always an ideal time to pull together your loved ones and cherish the memories made over the past twelve months. Enjoy a meal, break out the good wine and toast the accomplishments and successes of your nearest and dearest. We can't think of anyone better than Chef Matthew Accarrino to curate a basket built around those sensibilities. His cuisine is intensely personal fueled by the belief of direct sourcing, producing, and creating his own ingredients resulting in plates that are intimate and inviting at the same time. Each dish in this basket is meant to be plated and shared family-style so gather up the crew, dole out kitchen tasks, and create something to cherish, together.
The Goods
Spice Ace
Pacific Heights Blend
Crafted By: Olivia Dillan + Ben Balzer
This delicious spice blend has citrus and ginger notes resulting in a mixture that is reminiscent of California's diverse culinary landscape and chef Accarrino's cuisine. The blend is one of many that Spice Ace has created in-house with the intention of inspiring confident cooking and the urge to experiment in the kitchen.
Consisting of unique flavors such as kaffir lime, aji amarillo chilies, and palm sugar the spices shine in a multitude of Asian and Latin-inspired dishes. We're huge fans of adding the Pacific Heights blend to grilled fish and vegetables; incorporating the mixture into rubs and marinades for pork and poultry; or creating an ever versatile compound butter that can be used in sweet and savory dishes alike.
*VEGAN
Bee Local
Oregon Buckwheat Honey
Crafted By: Damien Magista
Bee Local's Oregon Buckwheat Honey - sometimes called "American Manuka" because of its richness in vitamins and minerals - is dark, smoky and earthy, with deep molasses overtones. Buckwheat honey has multiple health benefits related to it's dark color including being higher in antioxidants and having antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that can hasten wound healing and even reduce scarring.
Bee Local's Oregon Buckwheat Honey is a perfect substitute wherever you might already utilize the syrup. At The FareTrade we're loving it in a mustard-laden vinaigrette with winter greens like cress and radicchio; as part of the braising liquid for short ribs with brown ale; or a top buckwheat pancakes with charred oranges.
*ORGANIC
*ALL-NATURAL
Clif Family Kitchen
Dukkah Spice Blend
Crafted By: Gary Erickson + Kit Crawford
Dukkah is a traditional Egyptian recipe that consists of ground nuts, seeds and spices that is the perfect companion to fresh bread and extra virgin olive oil. The Clif Family Kitchen variety is an explosive blend of toasted sesame seeds, ground pistachios and flavorful spices such as coriander and cumin to create a warm and slightly sweet blend with a buttery, nutty base.
This ideal winter blend is great throughout the day. Add it to warm toast with whipped ricotta and honey or atop fried eggs in the morning; add to a vinaigrette for a great North African inspired salad with roasted cauliflower, golden raisin, and grilled fish at lunch; or stir into whole grains and pastas as well as to crust chicken and pork at dinner. We're sure this blend will be your new "go-to" spice before you know it!
*ORGANIC
*ALL-NATURA
Koda Farms
Kokuho Rose Heirloom Rice
Crafted By: Ross + Robin Koda
Unlike modern varieties, Kokuho Rose is a true heirloom, possessing hallmarks that stand in stark contrast to those considered desirable in industrial scale farming. In essence, Koda Farms' Kokuho Rose Rice is slow to mature, low in yield and tall in stature - characteristics adding significant effort to its three year production cycle.
Touted by gourmets as the perfect steamed table rice, its tender and gently sticky texture makes it similarly outstanding for sushi. Versatile and appropriate with other traditional medium grain preparations which depend on a similar starch profile dishes such as Italian risotto and Spanish paella are perfect opportunities to showcase the grain.
*ORGANIC
*VEGAN
*ALL-NATURAL
purity organic
Gravenstein Apple Juice
Crafted By: Greg Holzman
Each year, Purity Organic picks apples at the peak of the harvest from family-owned farms in California. Their apple juice is fresh-pressed from only the best Gravenstein apples, a special and rare variety with a crisp, slightly acidy, tart-sweet flavor that results in an uncompromising juice.
We love using this apple juice in a variety of sweet and savory preparations as well as for seasonal cocktails perfect for the winter months. Use Purity Organics' Apple Juice in a spiked hot cider or to add depth to a mulled wine or sangria; add to the batter for a fully infused muffin or cake; roast with root vegetables such a celery root and turnips; create a glaze for chicken wings or tofu; or simply enjoy the pure flavor of the juice on it's own.
*ORGANIC
*ALL-NATURAL
*VEGAN