{"id":3038,"date":"2020-12-08T21:58:30","date_gmt":"2020-12-09T01:58:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/santacruzfoodie.com\/?p=3038"},"modified":"2020-12-08T21:59:07","modified_gmt":"2020-12-09T01:59:07","slug":"foodie-holiday-gift-guide-2020-local-gifts-part-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/santacruzfoodie.com\/?p=3038","title":{"rendered":"Foodie Holiday Gift Guide 2020: Local gifts, part 4"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/santacruzfoodie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/128068405_3485343738200458_664567609666165016_n.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3039\" srcset=\"https:\/\/santacruzfoodie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/128068405_3485343738200458_664567609666165016_n.jpg 960w, https:\/\/santacruzfoodie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/128068405_3485343738200458_664567609666165016_n-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/santacruzfoodie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/128068405_3485343738200458_664567609666165016_n-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/santacruzfoodie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/128068405_3485343738200458_664567609666165016_n-768x768.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><figcaption><br>One of the gift boxes available through the El Pajaro CDC (Community Development Corporation) Commercial Kitchen Incubator Program<br><em>Photo courtesy of EPCDC<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is part four of my foodie holiday gift guide to support local small businesses. I\u2019ll try to post another guide in a couple days. Happy shopping &amp; stay safe out there!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also see:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/santacruzfoodie.com\/?p=3019\">Gift guide part 1<\/a><\/strong> <\/li><li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/santacruzfoodie.com\/?p=3025\">Gift guide part 2<\/a><\/strong> <\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/santacruzfoodie.com\/?p=3032\"><strong>Gift guide part 3 <\/strong><\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Note: past installments include events that have already taken place, but they also mention local businesses you can still support!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Food Gift Boxes from local entrepreneurs<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are two upcoming Kitchen Pop-Ups at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.elpajarocdc.org\/\"><strong>El Pajaro<\/strong> <strong>CDC<\/strong><\/a>, 23 E. Beach St., in Watsonville. The pop-ups include artisan food products for sale, both separately and as part of holiday food boxes that contain enticing product combinations. I have tasted most of these products and they are fantastic. <strong>Hours are 3-7 p.m. on two Fridays: Dec. 11 and Dec. 18. <\/strong>Shoppers may order holiday gift boxes at <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\/\/epcdc.square.site\" target=\"_blank\">epcdc.square.site<\/a>, and curbside pickup is available. At this site, you can also order ahead and <strong>pick up selected boxes at the Saturday Westside Santa Cruz or Sunday Live Oak farmers market<\/strong>. Some of the entrepreneurs\u2019 products are El Pajaro CDC jam (organic berry jam); <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hakouya.com\/\">Hakouya<\/a> (miso dressing) Il Biscotto (Italian cookies); <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Marysfruittarts\/\">Mary\u2019s Fruit Tarts<\/a> (shortbread cookies); <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mymomsmole.com\/\">My Mom\u2019s Mole<\/a> (dry mole mix); <a href=\"https:\/\/www.roguepye.com\">Rogue Pye<\/a> (assorted hand pies); <a href=\"https:\/\/www.santacruzbalsamics.com\/\">Santa Cruz Balsamics<\/a> (flavored balsamic vinegars); <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scrumptiousfc.com\/\">Scrumptious Fish &amp; Chips<\/a> (condiment sauce); <a href=\"https:\/\/www.teresasgourmetfoods.com\">Teresa\u2019s Salsas<\/a> (fresh salsas); <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thegreenwaffle.com\/\">The Green Waffle<\/a> (assorted flavors of waffles); and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/yolis.adobo\/\">Yoli\u2019s Adobo<\/a> (sauce). The EPCDC Commercial Kitchen Incubator Program offers a fully equipped, shared-use facility to help culinary entrepreneurs start or expand food businesses. Learn more at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.elpajarocdc.org\/\">elpajarocdc.org<\/a>. Since they launched seven years ago, they have helped more than 60 businesses. To shop, visit epcdc.square.site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Packaged Meals<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Have people to shop for that don\u2019t have time for cooking or don\u2019t like cooking? You might consider a <strong>gift certificate to a business that offers prepared meals<\/strong>. These three local companies offer pickup and delivery options, with menus rotating weekly. I have been a happy customer ordering from all of them!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/myfoodsmith.com\">Foodsmith<\/a><\/strong>, based in Soquel, has paleo, vegan, and keto meals with organic produce. You pick from breakfast, lunch, and\/or dinner, for two, three, five, or six days. One recent paleo meal was Carne Asada Barbacoa Plate (grass fed beef with roasted peppers, sweet onions, dry-farmed tomatoes, butternut, chili-braised collards, cauliflower rice and avocado lime crema). Since 2017, Foodsmith has donated over 60,000 meals to people in need\u2014including, this year, 1,500 meals to Grey Bears this holiday season (for those who are homebound) and meals to local hospital workers helping fight the pandemic. Buy gift certificates <a href=\"https:\/\/myfoodsmith.com\/collections\/products\/products\/gift-card\">here<\/a>. For more info, visit myfoodsmith.com.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.goldenrootskitchen.com\">Golden Roots Kitchen<\/a><\/strong> in Scotts Valley offers gluten-free organic dishes. Some are vegetarian or vegan, including the weekly frittata and a recent Roasted Cauliflower, Pomegranate and Pistachio Salad, and a few feature pasture-raised animal proteins including Fogline Farm chicken. Founder and executive chef Melanie Geist emphasizes a farm-to-table philosophy and takes extra steps like \u201csoaking and sprouting to make our plant based food more digestible and bio-available.\u201d Buy gift certificates <a href=\"https:\/\/sendbottles.com\/GoldenRoots\/gift_cards\">here<\/a>. Also, next week they will be offering packaged snacks like warm olives, pan toasted nuts and chai spice molasses cookies and featuring Hanloh Thai Food&#8217;s pad Thai kit. \u201cWe think this kit would make a really fun gift,\u201d says Melanie. For more info, visit goldenrootskitchen.com.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Golden Roots Kitchen has featured select dishes from <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hanloh.com\/\">Hanloh Thai Food<\/a><\/strong> for the last few months, and recently Hanloh joined the same Scotts Valley commercial kitchen as GRK. Hanloh\u2019s founder\/chef Lalita Kaewsawang, a former staff member of Michelin-starred restaurant Manresa in Los Gatos, offers a rotating menu of what she calls \u201cThai comfort food and country-style cooking.\u201d Recent dishes have included vegan green curry (vegetables from Spade and Plow and Windmill Farm), Drunken Noodles, Son-in-Law Eggs, and charcoal-grilled lemongrass chicken. Buy gift cards <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hanloh.com\/giftcard\">here<\/a>. For more info, visit hanloh.com.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Monterey County<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The next <strong>Big Sur Foragers Festival<\/strong>, an annual benefit for the Big Sur Health Center, was slated for January 2021. Like many events, it\u2019s pivoting to a virtual format\u2014and tickets for one of these offerings, a <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bigsurforagersfestival.org\/raffle\/\">raffle<\/a><\/strong>,  would make a great gift. Prizes include a family \u2018staycation\u2019 (a suite at beloved Carmel inn <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hofsashouse.com\/\">Hofsas House<\/a> plus a gift card for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.swissbistro.com\/\">Lugano\u2019s Swiss Bistro<\/a>, which I still haven\u2019t made it to!), a $500 gift card to popular Moss Landing restaurant <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hauteenchilada.com\/\">Haute Enchilada<\/a> (one of my favorites when I drive down the coast), and a restaurant trifecta with gift cards from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tarpys.com\/\">Tarpy\u2019s<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montrio.com\/\">Montrio Bistro<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.riogrill.com\/\">Rio Grill<\/a> (the first two are Monterey and the latter is Carmel\u2014all wonderful spots). Tickets are only $5 or 6 for $25 and you get to choose which prize(s) you\u2019re trying for. Visit bigsurforagersfestival.org\/raffle for more information and a downloadable form. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Follow me on:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Twitter <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/santacruzfoodie\">@santacruzfoodie<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instagram <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/tarafatemiwalker\/\">@tarafatemiwalker<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Facebook <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SantaCruzFoodieExaminer\/\">@santacruzfoodieexaminer<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here is part four of my foodie holiday gift guide to support local small businesses. I\u2019ll try to post another guide in a couple days. Happy shopping &amp; stay safe out there! Also see: Gift guide part 1 Gift guide &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/santacruzfoodie.com\/?p=3038\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,33,80],"tags":[938,493,1697,1216,1705,1706,1698,1398,1453,429,1052,1699,467,790,1184,981,1701,1702,1647,452,1222,1391],"class_list":["post-3038","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cooking-chefs","category-events","category-food-food-news","tag-big-sur-foragers-festival","tag-carmel-restaurants","tag-el-pajaro-cdc","tag-el-pajaro-cdc-incubator-kitchen","tag-foodsmith","tag-golden-roots-kitchen","tag-hakouya","tag-hanloh","tag-hanloh-thai-food","tag-haute-enchilada","tag-hofsas-house","tag-il-biscotto","tag-monterey-restaurants","tag-montrio-bistro","tag-my-moms-mole","tag-rio-grill","tag-rogue-pye","tag-santa-cruz-balsamics","tag-scrumptious-fish-chips","tag-tarpys-roadhouse","tag-the-green-waffle","tag-yolis-adobo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/santacruzfoodie.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3038","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/santacruzfoodie.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/santacruzfoodie.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/santacruzfoodie.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/santacruzfoodie.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3038"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/santacruzfoodie.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3038\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3042,"href":"https:\/\/santacruzfoodie.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3038\/revisions\/3042"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/santacruzfoodie.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3038"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/santacruzfoodie.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3038"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/santacruzfoodie.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3038"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}