Fresh eggs from the farm.

The Pearl, San Antonio’s growing culinary town center, has hosted a successful producers-only farmers market since 2009. On Saturday, it’s time to recognize the achievement from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. There will be live music, treats, the usual array of produce and specialty items and complimentary tastings from San Antonio chefs.

“The Pearl Farmers Market has connected the community through working with farms in a 150 mile radius of San Antonio, raising awareness of seasonal eating and bringing people together through the celebration of local food,” the Pearl said in an announcement.

“Over the past four years Pearl Farmers Market has connected thousands of people to their local farmers and food producers from around San Antonio,” said Tatum Evans, market manager at Pearl.

“Our anniversary is a special time to thank all participants for their support of and commitment to our local food system.  Take time during our anniversary to thank a farmer and thank a shopper!”

Taste offerings by some of the city’s best talent including Jesse Perez (Arcade), Johnny Hernandez (La Gloria), Steve McHugh (Cured), Tim Rattray (The Granary), Geronimo Lopez (Nao), Jeff White (Boiler House) and Noah Melnagailis (One Lucky Duck).

Pearl is located at 200 E. Grayson St. in San Antonio, Texas. For more information about events at Pearl please click here.

The Pearl has become a food lover’s center for festivals as well as restaurants.

Bliss is aptly named.

As we approach the end of 2012, it’s time to look back on the many great flavors that we sampled. The list is lengthy, thanks to a decided upturn in culinary offerings across the city, both on the dining scene and for the food lover in general.

One of the biggest food stories of the year was the continued growth of the Pearl Brewery, which saw the opening of three praise-worthy eateries and a trendy bar. It also was the location of an increasing number of food festivals, meaning thousands from all over the city were showing up on a regular basis for cooking demonstrations at the Saturday farmers market, for paella, burgers and barbecue or tamales, and for the restaurants, all in the quest of good food.

A glimpse into the kitchen at the Granary.

The list of new restaurants includes the Granary ‘Cue and Brew, which restored beer making to the premises. Artisan barbecue, fine brews and an irresistible condiment known as ‘cue butter all made this a welcome addition. The Boiler House Texas Grill and Wine Garden delivers on the belief that quality grilled meat is prerequisite in the Lone Star State, and the massive setting, covering two stories, is epic enough to complement chef James Moore’s ranch-style fare.

The most intriguing addition, though, is NAO, the Culinary Institute of America’s full-service restaurant, which has provided San Antonio with its broadest and most authentic taste of South and Central American cuisines to date. These exciting flavors, from seafood stews and roasted meats to an inviting cocktail program, have somehow not been able to secure a foothold before in a city that values its Tex-Mex above all; yet in just a few months, NAO has developed a local following, and its client base should grow as word continues to get out to the rest of the country that the school has a campus and a destination restaurant here. When the visiting chef series returns, with culinary stars from countries as diverse as Brazil, Peru and Argentina, you’d be wise to make your reservations as soon as possible.

The CIA’s flagship restaurant in San Antonio.

NAO is also built on the concept of small plates, which has also not been widely popular in San Antonio. Yet Bite in the Southtown area and a revitalized Nosh on Austin Highway are joining in the effort to break that mold.

Southtown continued to attract diners from across the city, as Mark Bliss returned with a new restaurant, the aptly named Bliss. The warmth of the place, the impressive setting and the comfort of the food, especially when enjoyed at the chef’s table in the kitchen, all help place it among the city’s best.

Johnny Hernandez opened two distinct venues in the Southtown area, if not Southtown proper. They include the Frutería at the Steel House Lofts, where you can get everything from market-fresh fruit for breakfast to an impressive array of, you got it, small plates for dinner, and Casa Hernán, an airy catering facility and brunch spot in his own home.

Another welcome addition to the Southtown scene was the Alamo Street Eat Bar, a food truck park that featured crazy good burgers from Cullum’s Attaboy, the Peacemaker combination of pork belly and fried oysters from Where Y’At and the DUK Truck’s duck confit tacos. Add Zum Sushi, The Institute of Chili, Wheelie Gourmet and a few other visitors, as well as a great beer lineup, and you’ve got some wonderful fresh treats. And what do food trucks provide but small plates, albeit from different plates, giving you the feel of being on a tapas trail?

An “Eat Street” crew films at the Point Park & Eats.

Another food truck park that opened up north in Leon Springs was the Point Park & Eat, which also offers a great beer selection and a wide array of foods from a lineup that has changed in the months that it’s been open. The culinary confections come from trucks such as Skinny Cat, Gourmet on the Fly, Blazin’ Burgers and Say-She-Ate.

Television continued to discover may of these culinary gems. Say-She-Ate was one of four food trucks filmed for the TV series, “Eat Street.” The others include Rickshaw Stop, Tapa Tapa and Society Bakery. Meanwhile, PBS celebrity chef Ming Tsai came to town to film segments of “Simply Ming” with Diana Barrios Treviño from Los Barrios, Elizabeth Johnson of the CIA, John Besh of Lüke (visiting from New Orleans) and Johnny Hernandez at La Gloria.

Sustenio, with Stephan Pyles’ blessing and David Gilbert’s gifts, made people realize the Eilan Hotel Resort and Spa off I-10 was not just a pretty façade. Its menu, with much of the dishes derived from local meats and produce, features an exciting array of ceviches that captured the freshness of the sea and a number of dishes using South Texas Heritage Pork products.

The $13 Burger at Knife & Fork.

The gastropub movement continued with the opening of Knife & Fork in the Stone Oak area. An outgrowth of the Bistro Six food truck, it offered a $13 Burger worth every cent, an extensive cocktail program and a laid-back atmosphere.

Meanwhile, the bistronomy craze — a hybrid of “bistro” and “gastronomy” — could be found in Laurent’s Modern Cuisine on McCullough Avenue. Next door to the still-vibrant and dependable Bistro Vatel, it proved that a segment of San Antonio does love its French food.

For those who enjoy a meal every now and then at home, the number of gourmet groceries grew, thanks to the addition of Trader Joe’s in the Quarry Extension and a second Whole Foods on Blanco Road, north of Loop 1604. The food warehouse Gaucho Gourmet expanded its hours to the public to six days a week, while Groomer’s Seafood reeled in even more seafood lovers, especially when lobsters hit a mouthwatering low of $5.95 apiece.

Classic cocktails have made a comeback.

San Antonio lifted it spirits high during the year. Distilled spirits, that is. Mixed drinks, both shaken and stirred, got a huge boost from the first annual San Antonio Cocktail Conference. But it didn’t stop there. The Blue Box in the Pearl and the downtown Brooklynite joined the likes of Bar 1919 in the Blue Star Complex and the bar at NAO as havens for hand-crafted classic cocktails. A rye sour shaken with traditional egg white, a real martini made with gin and a pisco sour bright with freshly squeezed citrus were all incentives that made exploring these nightspots fun.

Expect beer’s popularity to soar in the new year. Beyond the excellent brews at the Granary, we await Alamo Beer’s ambitious plans for a downtown complex that will feature a restaurant as well as a brewing facility as well as the launch of Branchline Brewery.

What else can we expect? The Pearl will continue to expand with the openings of Jesse Perez’s Arcade Midtown Kitchen and an as-yet-unnamed venture from Steven McHugh as well as the move of Green Vegetarian Cuisine, all of which will add to the draw of the campus. Culinaria has announced plans for a community garden center offering food and agricultural education for the city. Andrew Weissman is taking over the former Liberty Bar site on Josephine Street.

With these strides forward on so many fronts, the city’s culinary scene should continue to offer some enticing new flavors for anyone with a healthy appetite.

For Granary brewmaster Alex Rattray (right), it’s all about the beer.

The Granary ‘Cue and Brew opened this week, bringing the art of beer making  back to the Pearl Brewery. Visitors can sample several treats from owner and brewmaster Alex Rattray, who has come up with a series sure to please any taste.

The Blonde is light with a touch of hoppy flowers. The Rye Saison adds citrus notes to a beer marked by a rye so pronounced and alluring that you’ll think of it as liquid bread. The India Pale Ale is all beautiful beer bitterness with an engaging hoppy floral bouquet. The Brown Ale unfortunately wasn’t ready when I stopped in on opening night, but it should be soon.

I asked Rattray what beers he likes to serve with Thanksgiving dinner. His first choice would be his Rye Saisonal, which would certainly add an extra dimension of richness to the meal. But since you can’t get the Granary’s beers to go, he suggested looking for a Belgian saisonal, such as Saison Dupont. “I think the dry qualities of the beer and the spicy nose would really complement turkey, pumpkin, stuffing, etc.,” he said.

Rattray also talked about his plans for the Granary’s future as well as offering a few tips for home brewers.

Try four beers in a flight.

Q: What is one misconception that people have about beer that you like to clear up?

A: I think a lot of people still think that beer is not sophisticated or they never think to pair beer with meals. In my opinion, beer can be every bit as sophisticated as wine, but it has a lot more to offer when pairing with food. The vast array of beer styles and the different flavor profiles they offer are quite staggering, and it makes it very easy to find a great match for any meal. Beer is much more forgiving then wine when it comes to food too so you can really have fun pairing different flavors. There aren’t many rules either, so I think beer and food pairings are much more approachable for people to do on their own. Wine pairing can seem intimidating for people that are just getting into it.

Q: What got you interested in brewing your own beers?

A: After a study abroad trip to London and a visit to the Guinness Brewery in Dublin, Ireland, I really started getting into craft beer. I was in a store one day and saw a cheap home brewing kit and thought it’d be fun to try my hand at it. I grew up with my mom cooking daily meals for us from scratch, and my siblings and I learned to cook and bake from an early age. So, I guess we all have that extra desire to make the things that we enjoy. So, I asked for the home brew kit for my birthday, and my brother Tim (my current business partner and chef) purchased the kit for me. I was hooked from the first batch I made.

Q: What advice do you have for home brewers?

A: Keep it simple, especially at first. I think a lot of home brewers try to do too much and add crazy ingredients to their beers. Now that’s half the fun of home brewing, but especially for beginners, I think simplicity is the key. More does not usually mean better. Some of my favorite beers are very simple. Subtlety is important.

Q: What plans do you have for the beer program at the Granary?

A. Obviously we brew our own beer, and that is an integral part of our program. We plan to star brewing our own seasonal beers soon, which will give us a chance to use local fruits, etc. We’re also going to be serving some of our beers on cask. For guest taps, we really want to showcase Texas breweries. Currently we’re the first and only place in San Antonio where you can get a beer from Rogness Brewing. They are from Austin, and their stuff is great. We also plan to start tapping a special cask once a month or so from a local brewery and serve it right on the counter top through a gravity tap. Not only is the beer awesome that way, but it makes for a really cool presentation and fun experience for guests that haven’t had a beer pulled straight from a cask. We’re also brewing our own root beer from scratch and plan to introduce some seasonal house-made sodas as well.

The Granary ‘Cue and Brew is at 602 Avenue A. At this point, it is open 6-10 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday and 6-11 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. Call (210) 228-0124 or click here for details.

The taps are flowing at the Granary.

Two days, two new restaurants in the lineup at the Pearl Brewery.

That’s all it took.

A Granary flight

The Granary ‘Cue and Brew opened Tuesday at 604 Avenue A in an area that is still a bit under construction. But who cares what the drive is like when the beer’s fine? And the Granary, under the attention of brewmaster Alex Rattray, has some fine initial offerings on tap including the in-house Blonde, Rye Saison (which will make you yearn for a Reuben), and India Pale Ale, with a Brown Ale due any day now.

Other local taps include Live Oak’s Pils and Hefeweizen, Ranger Creek’s Lucky ‘Ol Sun, and Rogness Rattler Pale Ale and Beardy Garde. Ask what’s available on cask or try a flight in order to sample the house offerings.

A view of the Granary kitchen.

There’s ‘cue to go with the brew, and the Granary menu includes a rasher of interesting apps: Texas Toast with barbecue butter, Grit Fritters with country ham “salt” and red-eye mayonnaise, Smoked Tofu with curried pumpkin, and Smoked Beef Tongue with a caper-raisin vinaigrette.

Main course offerings include Pork Belly with a salsa negra and masa spoon bread, Szechuan Duck Leg with a poached egg, Beef Clod (the shoulder) with coffee quinoa crunch, Moroccan Lamb Shoulder with cous cous; and Jerk Chicken with red beans. And there’s Old School ‘Cue, served family style, while supplies last.

Texas cheeses, buttermilk chess pie, and Chocolate Blackout Cake are among the desserts, though the Soft Serve Twist with beer and pretzels flavor sounds the most intriguing.

The restaurant is situated in the former cooper’s house for the former Pearl Brewery and features some intriguing features, from the obviously antique glass windows to a board near the entrance to the restrooms that proudly declares “There’s a reason.” For what? You figure it out. Another beer can help such heady contemplation.

For more on the Granary ‘Cue and Brew, click here.

Nearby, at 312 Pearl Parkway, the Boiler House Texas Grill & Wine Garden opens today with chef James Moore in the kitchen overseeing the flame-cooked meals and vegetables.

Lamb polpettes

The restaurant, from the owners of Max’s Wine Dive, is indeed in the brewery’s old boiler house, which makes for a rustic, eclectic setting that’s comfortable, whether you’re seated at the bar so you can watch the kitchen staff at work or outside at one of the picnic tables.

Pork belly with soy-pineapple glaze.

Moore has said that Texas flavors, made with the best Texas ingredients, would be the focus on his menu.”When we began talking about Boiler House, we knew we wanted to honor the history at Pearl and the unique aspect of the building,” he said. “We started with the concept of grilling, something that plays a huge role in Texas cuisine. Pair that with flavors that reflect Texas and the concept just grew.”

Items that are attracting attention include starters of grilled breads with bone marrow, shrimp bacon brochettes, lamb polpettes (or meatballs), and tender Texas quail. Entrees include antelope, steaks, seafood and pork belly, the latter was served with a soy-pineapple glaze at a preview, but signs show that the sauces may change. There will be vegetarian options, too.

Texas quail at Boiler House.

There are also plenty of wines and a selection of Texas beers, from Ranger Creek Mission Trail Ale to South Austin Brewery Belgian Saison, to slake your thirst. Plus, the wines are also available to go, if you sample something that really speaks to you.

Desserts include Texas Pear Crumble as well as a big old brownie with a bourbon bacon anglaise that will thrill any dark chocolate fan.

For more information on Boiler House, click here.

Though both restaurants are open to the public, their hours or dining space are limited at the moment. Lunch at the Granary won’t start this week, for example, while live music at the Boiler House will come in the future.

The Boiler House Texas Grill & Wine Garden opens Friday.

The Oink Oink line at Melissa Guerra Tienda de Cocina.

Sugar skull molds for Day of the Dead.

Melissa Guerra Tienda de Cocina has opened in its new home at the Pearl Brewery. The kitchen goods store is now in the new Lab Building, which is also the home of Adelante, LeeLee Shoes and Dos Carolinas and will soon house the Twig Book Shop.

Among the items for sale right now are some Day of the Dead themed sugar skull molds in various sizes, all for $9.95 apiece.

Plus, there are a number of pig-related items to decorate your kitchen with. There may be talk of a pork shortage, but these pink piggies, in the Oink Oink line, will probably not be out of sight much, whether you’re getting a porcine timer, tongues or a spatula. The line comes in various sizes. These would make perfect stocking stuffers for the foodie on your Christmas list.

For more information, call (210) 293-3983 or click here.

Celebrate the opening of Pearl’s newest section on Saturday (Sept. 22). Live music, cooking demos, a photo booth and sales and specials at the newest shops are on the agenda.

Pearl kicks off the day with the Farmers Market at 9 a.m.  Located in their new parking lot in front of the historic brewhouse, the Farmer’s Market offers fresh, local and seasonal products that range from vegetables, fruits, meats, baked goods and value-added products.

Congrats to one of San Antonio’s own celebrity chefs — La Gloria Ice House owner Johnny Hernandez. He was named today as one of the country’s top Latino chefs by Siempre Mujer magazine.

In addition to being chef/owner of La Gloria at the Pearl, Hernandez also is proprietor of True Flavors catering and Casa Hernan.

This note, below, was posted from Hernandez’ alma mater, the Culinary Institute of America today, and includes link to a video interview:

“Chef Johnny Hernandez, who graduated from The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in 1989, was named one of the top five Latino Chefs in the United States by Siempre Mujer magazine. He is the executive chef and owner of one of San Antonio’s most popular restaurants, La Gloria Ice House, which is adjacent to the CIA’s San Antonio campus. He also owns Casa Hernán, True Flavors Catering Company, and The Fruteria. Another restaurant and his first cookbook, México Mi Gloria, are in the works.

In this interview, Chef Johnny speaks about his expanding empire and how classic Latin is the “hot” cuisine in the U.S. today. He talks about the CIA’s growing program offerings in San Antonio, including an associate degree in culinary arts and the new Latin Cuisines Certificate Program, as well as what the college’s presence means for the state of Texas. He also takes the opportunity to reflect on how his CIA education prepared him to become one of the leading chefs in Latin cuisine.”

River Walk view, from chef Johnny Hernandez’ restaurant La Gloria at the Pearl.

Hernandez also achieved national attention this year for his appearances on Bravo TV’s “Top Chef.”

Fresh herbs add extra flavor to your salad.

I have been forcing myself to garden more this spring than I have in the past. And while I wait for the peppers, zucchini, cucumbers and tomatillos to ripen, I have enjoyed the addition of numerous herbs  that have thrived, thanks to recent rains.

They join the few I had planted years ago, herbs that somehow managed to survive both heavy rains and heavy drought. Some are in pots, others in the ground. A few get a little shade, but most are in full sun for most of the day.

There’s an enormous patch of mint, which spread from a single plant that went into the ground about 10 years ago. There is so much now that I have enough to keep vases of it in the house while other leaves are steeped in boiling water for a tea that’s great either hot or iced.

Then there’s rosemary, sorrel and several types of chive as well as an enormous thyme plant that has spread over the edge of its pot down to the ground below. New this year are dill, perhaps my favorite  herb of all, as well as tarragon, two basils, Mexican mint marigold, Cuban oregano with its fuzzy leaves, parsley and purslane. Cilantro came up in about six spots in the yard after a single plant last year fried in the summer heat.

Another volunteer is lambsquarters, a bright  green plant with magenta leaves at the center of small clusters. The leaves are fuzzy to the touch, but the leaves add color and brightness to the mix.

All are doing well, except for a sage plant that the woman I bought it from said wanted things as dry as possible. The exact opposite proved to be the case and it never had a chance to establish itself. (Most of my gardening is done in the morning before that first cup of tea, when the cobwebs in my brain haven’t been swept away yet and I didn’t really see how dry the plant got during the heat of the day.)

Morning is the perfect time to gather snippets from each herb to toss into a salad for lunch. There’s something that feels so alive and refreshing about biting into a piece of sorrel, the flavor of which reminds me of cold mountain water, or the bold tang of tarragon.

Basil is the focus of this year's Herb Market, June 2 at the Pearl Brewery.

I don’t want to mask those flavors with a heavy dressing. Instead, I toss the herbs with a few spring field greens, a pinch of flaked sea salt and the tiniest drizzle of exceptionally fine olive oil. I then shake it all up vigorously, so that a teaspoon or two of oil proves more than enough. A grind or two of black pepper is all that’s needed to finish it off. I could graze through acres of it with just a little cheese or salami on the side.

Of course, the herbs pack a wallop in whatever I’m cooking, but the salads are what I’ve enjoyed the most.

The big surprise this year has come from my two basil plants, one of which had been a table decoration at the inaugural SA Chefs Coalition dinner.  Both are now growing  like weeds, thanks to a tip I learned last fall on how to handle the plant. Susan Belsinger, the guest speaker at the Herb Market last October, shared a tip that works perfectly: Cut the plant back regularly to just above the leaf that is the second from the bottom. It will look as if you are butchering your plant, but the plant actually loves it. This year,  using that method, I’ve harvested three times the amount of basil that I’ve gotten from my plants in the past, and it’s still spring. (Click here for more of Belsinger’s tips.)

One of our Twitter friends, Jessica, from the Bake Me Away blog, has a great idea for a Balsamic Strawberry Basil Pizza. It’s one of several herbal new recipes you can try. The others are for Lemonade Made with Vanilla, Mint and Rosemary, a great thirst quencher over Memorial Day weekend and the rest of the summer, and Chilled Shrimp and Peruvian Corn Salad, which has plenty of cilantro and mint adding flavor.

Robert Fleming is opening a second Magnolia Pancake Haus this week.

NAO, the Latin restaurant at the Culinary Institute of America, will have its soft opening on May 23.

It will be in the Pearl Brewery, 200 E. Grayson St., and will feature dishes from throughout South America, Latin America and the islands.

NAO will be student-staffed and the menu will feature traditional dishes creatively reinterpreted for San Antonio diners.

Jesse Perez

In other Pearl Brewery news, chef Jesse Perez is opening his contemporary American restaurant, Arcade, this fall. It will be in the lab building near the stables on the property.

The streamlined industrial look of the space will be playful, Perez says.

We’re hoping the food will be as good as what we sampled from Perez during this year’s Culinaria.

In other restaurant news, Robert Fleming will be opening his second Magnolia Pancake Haus on Friday at 10333 Huebner Road.

Old favorites, such as the Apfelpfannekuchen and the pancakes as well as the house-made sausage and eggs to order, will be available. Call (210) 561-6117.

Robbie Nowlin, who left Jason Dady’s the Lodge Restaurant of Castle Hills, to work at the prestigious French Laundry in Yountville, Calif., has returned to town. He will be working for Dady again, this time at Bin 555.

The Esquire Tavern

The Esquire Tavern, 155 E. Commerce St., has been named one of the top bars in America by Men’s Fitness magazine. The listing says that “Luckily despite its tourist-y location, this is a casual local favorite that just happens to boast the longest wooden bar in Texas. At 79 feet it’s the perfect spot to throw back a few Lone Stars (the “National Beer of Texas”), and hang with the locals. As for cocktails they’re fittingly big and boozy.”

The Grand Hyatt, 600 E. Market St., has a new executive chef. Lawrence Eells grew up moving around the world. As a young boy in a military family, he spent the majority of his childhood in places such as Okinawa, the Philippines, Shanghai, Hawaii, Albuquerque, San Diego, Minneapolis and Dallas.

Bean pot, a traditional item that is usally in stock at Tienda de Cocina.

From Mexican dishes, cookware and table decor to olive oil-based lotions and soaps, there are ideas aplenty in and around San Antonio to surprise the foodie on your Christmas list.  (We mean surprise in a good way!) While we hate to use that phrase “last-minute gifts,” the one-week countdown is here, and that last minute is getting closer all the time!

Diana Barrios Treviño’s popular book, “The Barrios Family Cookbook,” has been selling well and for good reason. The recipes are not complex, but the results taste like genuine San Antonio Mexican food. The book can be purchased at most bookstores or at the Los Barrios restaurants. These are Los Barrios Mexican Food at 4223 Blanco Road, or La Hacienda de los Barrios at 18747 Redland Road.

'Los Barrios Family Cookbook', plus a tortilla warmer and Corkcicle, is a basket suggestion from Diana Barrios Trevino.

Treviño suggests adding a tortilla warming pad to the basket. Place tortillas into this cloth folder, pop it into the microwave and tortillas will come out soft and warm, with not dried edges. “I use this all the time at home — you have to separate the tortillas, not just take them from the package to the warmer, but it works really, really well,” she says.

Along with the tortilla warmer and book, put another handy item into the basket — a Corksicle. This is something to keep in the freezer for those times you need to cool a bottle of wine down fast. A long plunger, with a cork on top, dips right into the bottle and brings on a good cellar temperature in just a few minutes.

Anyone who has gone into Melissa Guerra’s Tienda de Cocina, in the Full Goods building at the Pearl Brewery,  knows that it’s easier to walk in than it is to leave. The array of colorful dishware, traditional and contemporary cookware, books, tablecloths, embroidered purses, glassware and so much more is fascinating, and a great way to spend part of an afternoon.

We’d suggest an earthenware bean pot, a package of organic beans sold at the store, near the cookbook section, and one of Guerra’s cookbooks as a good place to start.  Then, tuck a colorful cooking utensil, such as a stirring spoon or garlic press into the package as well.

Dishes with olive motifs, olive wood cheese boards, rolling pins and more at Sandy Oaks.

If you have time, take a pretty drive south of town on I-37 to Sandy Oaks Olive Orchard.  Along the way the trees are shades of bronze, muted orange and sometimes bright yellow. It doesn’t take long to get to this peaceful and lovely working olive plantation — less than 30 minutes from downtown, in fact. (Take the Hardy Road exit, turn east and follow the signs, turning left on Mathis Road.)

The property has an orchard of more than 11,000 olive trees, as well as a large barn, housing meeting areas, two kitchens and the commercial olive press. There is a spacious gift shop in a new, two-story building next to the barn. Here, you’ll find a kitchen bar area where visitors are invited to sample olive oils, balsamic vinegars, granola made on premises and more.  During these cool days there will be a fire in the fireplace and a pretty view into a large nursery that houses quite a few varieties of olive trees.

It's easy to fill up your own basket with gift items, such as mine, above, but Sandy Oaks will also put together pretty gift baskets for you.

Sandy Oaks offers a number of different gift basket ideas, but you’re also welcome to choose your own ‘ingredients” from the many items on sale. Excellent skin lotions, healing salve and soaps, all made with olive oil, are fragrant and gentle on the skin. The healing salve ($10) is good for cuts and scratches, minor burns and insect bites. Olive leaf tea, aroma oil made from olive oil, olivewood cheese boards and beautiful French pottery with an olive motif, are just a few more ideas.

I put together a basket for a chef (my brother) that has the healing salve for kitchen scrapes and burns, a Chef’s Cinnamon scrub soap, and a bottle of Sandy Oaks Extra Virgin Olive Oil, that makes a very good finishing oil. A similar basket for another friend will contain the same items, with the addition of a potholder with an olive design, and a bag of fair trade organic coffee. Visit Sandy Oaks on the web by clicking here.

Interior at Sandy Oaks new gift shop is spacious and fragrant, with a working fireplace and a kitchen area for olive oil tasting and more. It's also a unique place to shop for gifts.

Here are just a few more thoughts on  gifts that will entertain or educate your favorite food aficionado.

• Cooking classes: Central Market, the Culinary Institute of America and Sandy Oaks have classes with a wide range of appeal and cost.

• Buy a basket, a pretty Christmas-themed towel (or whatever is appropriate) and fill it with artisan cheeses, a package of good crackers and a mixture of olives. This is something we’ve found appeals to guys as much as, or more so, than our female friends.

• Choose a cookbook (there are many lists on the Internet now naming the “best of” 2011).  We like John Besh’s newest book, “My Family Table,” and Anne Burrell’s “Cook Like a Rock Star.” Find a recipe that has some unusual ingredients in it, then put those into the gift bag with the book.

Happy shopping!