As we enter the season of giving in a year that thoughtful gestures and local business support are more important than ever, here are a few Marin purveyors to consider for gifting pantry provisions.
Next week, I’ll cover sweets followed by baked goods and breads on Dec. 16.
Foraged foods
Visit the Thursday Marin Farmers Market and the new Dooryard Provisions booth for a seasonally changing selection of jams, herbal teas, trail mixes, dried fruits and spice blends, and a year-round nourishing line of sesame-toasted, hand-foraged nori and locally farmed kale chips made with immune boosters like reishi, porcini and chaga mushrooms, miso, garlic and ginger.
Founder Maria Clementi, a San Rafael-based private chef and culinary educator, most recently worked as a cooking instructor, Whole Foods Market healthy eating specialist and in positions ranging from line cook to sous chef at multiple restaurants throughout the nation. A Chicago native, she moved to Marin in 2017 to work as a sous chef at Insalata’s in San Anselmo, but was forced to reinvent when the pandemic hit.
“I decided to take the opportunity to start my own business,” she writes.
She obtained a cottage food operations license, liability insurance, health permit and commercial seaweed foraging license before applying to sell at the farmers market.
“I hope to eventually become a resource to local chefs and home cooks for the best quality dried or fresh seaweeds, including nori, sea palm, kombu and wakame (some of which she dives for and hand-collects off the Northern California coast), and for other seasonal wild foods like dried rosemary blossoms, acorn flour, prickly pear nectar, hoshigaki persimmons, black walnuts and wild greens,” Clementi says.
Packaging containers are either 100% compostable or glass that can be returned for a discount on a future purchase.
“The ingredients for my products are hand-foraged, gleaned, locally farmed or purchased to support small businesses,” says Clementi of her commitment to high-quality while trying to maintain a reasonable price point for her products.
Find Dooryard Provisions at the Civic Center farmers market from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursdays at 10 Avenue of the Flags in San Rafael, or purchase directly from her website at dooryardprovisions.com.
Fresh oysters
Shellfish aficionados always appreciate a bag of sustainably farmed oysters on their doorstep and Hog Island Oyster Co. on Tomales Bay is ready with a variety of mollusks.
Send the gift of Sweetwaters and Earthquake Bays straight from the waters outside the Marshall flagship location; kumamotos from Humboldt Bay; and extra-small capitals from Washington. Or subscribe to the oyster-of-the-month club and receive a variety box of 36 every three, six or 12 months complete with a recipe card from the Hog Island kitchen or a local Bay Area chef. Get a shucking knife, gloves and an oyster tasting recording booklet with the first shipment.
Other Hog Island gift possibilities include meal kits (barbecued or stuffed baked oysters, clam chowder or grilled cheese); individual items like chipotle bourbon butter, bloody Mary mix and pickled vegetables; or gift cards for use at the Hog Island oyster bars in Marshall, Larkspur, San Francisco and Napa, Tony’s Seafood in Marshall or its online store.
Shop and find ordering and delivery information at hogislandoysters.com/shop.
Sweet and savory
The Homeward Bound kitchen in Novato is taking a bite out of homelessness with Halo HomeMades, made by the students and staff at the organization’s Fresh Starts Culinary Academy.
The selection of holiday gifts includes pepper sauce; cranberry orange relish; raspberry jam; barbecue and mole sauces; honey from Novato hives; chocolate truffles (plain, Kona coffee, blackberry cabernet, raspberry or mixed boxes of four); and chocolate bark (cranberry pumpkin seed, pistachio almond or white chocolate peppermint).
Have a pup? Bags of Wagster premium dog biscuits come in almond apple, banana coconut and peanut butter molasses.
Products are limited and must be ordered by Dec. 14. Find the order form under the get involved link at hbofm.org or call 415-382-3363, extension 214. Pickup at 1385 North Hamilton Parkway in Novato. All proceeds support Homeward Bound of Marin.
Sauce at home
Fans of Gott’s house-made condiments can now take one or all home in 12-ounce jars ($4.99). The 13 sauces, dips and dressings include ranch; cilantro pumpkin seed; lemon tahini; and peanut lime, and there are seven types of mayo (jalapeño, chipotle, gochujang, harissa, lemon, spicy and turmeric spiced).
Purchase at Gott’s in Greenbrae at 302 Bon Air Center, at other Northern California locations or online at gotts.com.
New spots
Just in time for the holidays, the Ghiringhelli family (Trattoria Ghiringhelli Grill & Bar in Novato and Deer Park Villa, Ghiringhelli’s Pizzeria and Fairfix Café in Fairfax) has debuted a new spot for small group gatherings and gift purchasing.
Novato Vino Wine Marketplace & Tasting Room offers a curated assortment of internationally sourced wines by the glass, flight or bottle, and a substantial menu of food pairings. This includes an artisan cheeseboard; crispy calamari with red pepper and roasted garlic aiolis; sauteed garlic shrimp served with warm sourdough bread; lobster and cheeseburger sliders; Tuscany pasta; lobster mac-n-cheese; and Caesar or roasted beet and arugula salads.
The larger dish “date night menu” features an Omaha angus bone-in ribeye steak with marsala mushroom sauce and mashed potatoes; grilled Atlantic salmon with piccata sauce; chicken marsala; and surf and turf with steak and prawns.
Signature flatbreads (margherita, wild mushroom and goat cheese, saltimbocca, harvest, pesto chicken and mixed hybrid) are designed to complement the flight menu during Flight and Flatbread Fridays ($14.95).
The contemporary tasting room with lounges, large tables and wine bar waits for its reveal post-pandemic, but for now, settle in at tables outside. Or browse the retail shop for a large collection of unique wines and a variety of gifts such as candles, wine charms, chocolates, glassware and customized gift boxes.
The tasting room and marketplace at 1535 East South Novato Blvd., adjacent to Trattoria Ghiringhelli, is open from 3 to 8 p.m. Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and 3 to 8:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. It’s closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Check facebook.com/NovatoVino or call 415-878-4915 for details and updates while the website, novatovino.com, is being completed.
The new owners of Baan Thai Cuisine have reopened the 7-year-old downtown San Anselmo restaurant after an interior remodel and the addition of an outdoor patio. Stop in or place an online order for appetizers; soup; barbecue; satay; salads; curry dishes; pan-fried noodles and rice; a la carte entrees and specials; and desserts.
The restaurant at 726 San Anselmo Ave. is open from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays; 12:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturdays; 12:30 to 9 p.m. Sundays. Closed Mondays.
Find the full menu and details at thebaanthaicuisine.com.
Hello, latkes
Delicious Catering has been frying potato latkes for its clients since 1975, following the recipe of founder Jan Goldberg’s grandmother, and although the pandemic means no parties, the tradition continues.
In addition, the San Rafael-based business is preparing oven-ready Hanukkah dinners, including brisket with caramelized onion jus and plum-roasted chicken, both served with herb-roasted broccolini and latkes with homemade applesauce and add-ons like matzo ball soup; spring greens with roasted golden beets in champagne vinaigrette with pomegranate honey; double chocolate almond macaroons; and rugelach.
To place an order, send an email to info@deliciouscatering.com or call 415-453-3710. The ordering deadline is 4 p.m. Thursday for pickup at 3241 Kerner Blvd., suite 23 in San Rafael between noon at 3 p.m. Dec. 10 through 13. Find additional information at deliciouscatering.com.
For the next two Saturdays, blast-frozen latkes are available by the dozen for pickup at the Pizzeria Delfina Pop-Up in Mill Valley. Delfina’s gluten-free potato pancakes are made with russets, onion, salt and potato starch, and fried in rice bran oil. Add on house-made pear-quince conserva or creme fraiche.
Pre-order by Wednesday for pickup Dec. 5 and Dec. 9 for pickup Dec. 12 at the white Delfina van parked at 707 Redwood Highway in Mill Valley from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. rain or shine.
Find the full menu, including wines from the Delfina cellar, bottled cocktails, frozen half-baked pizzas, lasagnas, and make-at-home pizza, pasta Bolognese and bucatini all’amatriciana kits with instructions and ingredients at pizzeriadelfina.com/marin.
Leanne Battelle is a freelance food writer. Please email her at ij.lbattelle@gmail.com with local food and restaurant news or follow the Marin dining scene at instagram.com/therealdealmarin.
