At our house, as I expect at yours, all of the Thanksgiving leftovers, after having re-emerged for numerous meals in various disguises, have either been eaten, or any final remnants have finally been chucked. Now the wonderful fun and onerous chore of planning for Christmas begins. There are the Christmas Eve festivities, and the full-fledged feast on the 25th, and there may be a party thrown in before or after Christmas as well.
There is also the task of buying presents - identifying, searching out the store that has it in stock, wrapping, and in some cases shipping it. All of these duties combine to make the entire month a whirlwind. In the true Christmas spirit of bringing Yuletide joy, this column is devoted to helping you make your planning for this special season less harried by pointing out some specialty West Virginia food products and where to easily locate them.
When you think about Christmas dinner, a wonderful place to start your shopping is at the Capitol Market, on Smith Street. Johnnies Fresh Meat Market is an excellent source for an entire range of West Virginia products. For those who are planning to feature a luxurious beef dish as the centerpiece of their dinner, Johnnies is taking orders for whole tenderloins and prime rib roasts - grass fed beef produced by Hawthorne Valley Farm in Clarksburg.
They also feature specialty grass fed heritage pork from Glory Ridge Farms in Gay, West Virginia; goat that is raised by Gramac Farm in Lindside, and lamb raised by Greenbrier Cotswold Farm in Greenbrier county. But for any or all of these, if you are interested, it is very important that you place your order immediately because there is an especially high demand at the holidays. Johnnies has other West Virginia products that will serve you well when you come home from your midnight service or Christmas morning breakfast: Italian sausages, and eggs.
If you are still craving turkey, contact Larry Gardner at Gardner Farm near Parkersburg. Find him on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Gardner-Farms). Gardner also has excellent lamb and duck, and they have regular deliveries to Charleston and Huntington.
If you are looking for West Virginia wine and micro-brews for your festivities, another Capitol Market booth, the Wine and Cheese Shop features about 25 different in-state wines. Among some of the award winning vintners who produce both red and whites are: Fisher Ridge, Wine Tree, Batton Hollow, and for those who like fruit wines (meaning wine made from fruits other than grapes) West White Hill has some popular selections.
Another booth in the Capitol Market carries a West Virginia product that makes a superb gift choice. It is Holl's Swiss Chocolates, which is just the best chocolate anywhere. It comes in a variety of handmade fresh cream truffles, buttery caramels and fresh-roasted nut chocolates. Made right here in West Virginia, this candy can easily hold its own when compared to the very finest chocolates in the world, including those from Belgium. The presentation is attractive and requires no extra wrapping or bows; the chocolates are an excellent buy for the quality, and once again Holl's provides you with the luxury of having it shipped.
You can even save yourself the trouble of the trip to the Capitol Market by ordering online at www.holls.com. There is one distinct downside to sending Holls chocolates as a gift to family or friends: you will never be able to get away with discontinuing sending them year after year.
Not at the Market, but also available online, for those of your friends who are especially particular about their coffee, is Mountain Roaster Coffee, on Main Street in Buckhannon, as well as at www.mountainroaster.com. The beans are the freshest and highest quality, and there is more careful attention to the roasting than I know of with other roasters, not only in-state but anywhere. Mountain Roaster customizes its product and provides a choice of roasts: medium, dark, and extra dark.
They carry single-origin beans from Brazil, Burundi, Columbia, Costa Rica, Ethiopia-Yergacheffe, Guatemala, Kenya, Mexico, Nicaragua and Sumatra.
It also handles flavored coffees: Pumpkin Spice, Caramel Creek, Chocolate Mist, Vanilla Bean, hazeNut and Irish Cream.
In addition to the meals and presents, there are other festivities. You may also be looking for a caterer for a Christmas or New Year's party. For these, or any time of the year, Fish Hawk Acres Farm Market Catering is a standout. Find them on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Fish-Hawk-Acres-232313496782888/?fref=nf).
Owners Dale Hawkins and Teresa Lipps are the dynamic duo who go a long way above and beyond for their clients in customizing their catering service. As they describe it, "We like to give our clients the 'WOW' factor, which means more than really good food for a decent price." Their amazing menu is truly eclectic and features 100 percent fresh ingredients, a large percentage of which are local.
West Virginia produces some truly fine agricultural and value-added food products. This column shares just a few highly notable ones that will enhance your holiday dining or please your family and friends as gifts. I find it especially reassuring in knowing who the farmer is who raised the food on our table and that the dollars that I have invested in that food is being re-invested by those farmers in our state. Seems to make good sense for the holidays.
For more information, visit C21C and WVFarm2U at www.wvfarm2u.org. Send questions or comments to Allen Arnold at aarnold@wvfarm2u.org.