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Happy Holidays, Everyone!
‘Tis the season for giving, and there's no better place to find interesting and tasty gifts than your local farmers' market. Use your imagination and put together a selection of fresh and local products that are sure to please those special people on your gift list. There's everything for the gourmet cook, the gardener, the busy mom, and anyone else who likes thoughtful gifts.
Select a gift with the interests of the recipient in mind. Fill a basket with seasonal fruit, local cheeses and fresh baked breads for the foodie. Gather a selection of sauces, homemade ravioli and olive oil for the gourmet cook. Pick out some handmade soaps, lotions, bath salts and candles for the mom who needs a little "spa" time. Or look at some unusual potted plants, small trees and herbs, orchids and cut flowers for the gardener. You're sure to find something for everyone on your gift list at the farmers' market!
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A Cup of Holiday Cheer
- 2 to 4 medium baking apples, cored
- 1-1/3 cup orange juice
- 3/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons whole cloves
- 1/3 cup water
- 4 crab apples (optional)
- 4 medium lemons
- 8 cups apple cider
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 12 inches stick cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
 Preheat oven to 350°F. Insert about half the cloves into 2 baking apples. Place the apples in a 2-quart square baking dish. Add the water. Bake apples, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Add crab apples, if desired. Bake an additional 25 to 30 minutes or until apples and crab apples are tender; cool slightly. Halve or quarter baking apples. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a 4-quart Dutch oven combine orange and lemon juices, apple cider, sugar, cinnamon, remaining cloves, allspice, and nutmeg. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove whole cloves and stick cinnamon from cider mixture. To serve, place apples in a large heat-proof punch bowl; carefully pour cider mixture into bowl. Makes 12 to 16 servings.
For more great holiday recipes visit www.pcfma.com/cookbook.
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Featured Producers
Crab is here! Pham's Fresh Fish is offering the first Dungeness crab of the season.
Beckmann's Old World Bakery has great bread stuffing mix and decadent holiday pies to save you time in the kitchen.
Make a tasty hostess gift out of packaged smoked salmon in different flavors from Coastide Farms and Specialties.
Select some beeswax candles, hand lotions and soaps from Small Bees for a nice gift. And don't forget to pick up some sweet local honey for yourself!
For the gardener on your gift list pick out a gorgeous orchid from Rose Mae Orchids.
Add some color to your holiday table with beautiful cut flowers from Sunrise Nursery.
Garcia Farms has all the fresh vegetables you'll need for your holiday meals like carrots, onions, celery, lettuce, potatoes, and much more.
Have a gardener on your gift list? They'll enjoy a fun bamboo plant in a whimsical pot from Lucky Bamboo.
Fill a big basket of Pink Lady and Fuji apples from V&V Farms. Add some fresh crunchy nuts and you have a very nice gift for anyone.
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Caring for Poinsettias: When you buy poinsettias, look for plants with stiff stems, colorful bracts (the red modified leaves that we consider the "flower" part), dense foliage all the way to the soil line, and no drooping of the leaves and bracts. Poinsettias do not like to be crowded so set them apart enough to spread out as they grow. Remove any protective sleeves and foil from around the pots. 
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