Cheese with Northeastern terroir: Jasper Hill Farm The Vermonter
Photo: Jasper Hill Farm
Our pick
Jasper Hill Farm The Vermonter
This basket from an award-winning cheesemaker had the best-tasting cheeses and crackers out of all the options we tried.
Why it’s great: The cheeses in Jasper Hill Farm’s The Vermonter basket, made at the company’s Vermont creamery or ripened in its underground aging facility, embody the pastures and seasons of the Northeast. With selections that are approachable and delicious, this basket is one we’d gladly give to friends, clients, service providers, and turophiles alike. One taste-tester went so far as to call the Vermonter basket “a true superstar,” and we agree.
Compared with other cheese baskets we tried, the Vermonter offered the best blend of complex and down-to-earth flavors. We loved the creamy, spruce-bark-wrapped Harbison, a luscious, slightly grassy bloomy rind cheese that evokes mushrooms and the forest floor. The Cabot Clothbound Cheddar was a crowd favorite—even the pickiest eaters were fans. It’s salty and a bit tangy with subtle notes of caramel. The Highlander, an alpine-style melting cheese, has a firm, slightly bendy texture and a buttery, nutty flavor. We tried it melted over roasted potatoes and it was decadently rich and creamy. The maple-spiced nuts provide a satisfying crunchy, sweet, and salty finish. This basket also gives you the option of including a stick of delightfully fatty Babette’s Table Salami; we like that you can leave this out of the box if the recipient doesn’t eat pork
Each Jasper Hill cheese is tastefully wrapped in butcher paper, and all of the gift items arrive carefully tucked into a bed of wood shavings, so the aesthetic is appropriately rustic. The shipping is pricey, but it’s free with code VERMONTER (Jasper Hill says it’s keeping shipping free indefinitely).
What’s inside: a 6-ounce wedge of Cabot Clothbound Cheddar (a natural-rind, bandaged cheese), a 9-ounce wheel of Harbison (a bark-wrapped, soft-ripened bloomy cheese), a half-pound wedge of Highlander (a semi-firm goat and cow blend with a rosy washed rind), a 5-ounce box of Brewer’s Sea Salt Crackers, a 3-ounce bag of Squirrel Stash Nuts, and an optional, 4½-ounce stick of Babette’s Table Salami
Potential allergens: dairy, tree nuts, wheat
Shipping: $30; free with code VERMONTER
Cured meats for what ails them: Olympia Provisions Euro Charcuterie Box
Photo: Olympia Provisions
Our pick
Why it’s great: The Olympia Provisions Euro Charcuterie Box offers up a hearty and varied spread, with four flavorful dried sausages, pâté, cheese, olives, crackers, and condiments. The Portland, Oregon–based salumeria uses Old World techniques and Pacific Northwest pork to create its herby, fatty, salty, and utterly delicious charcuterie. Carnivores and food lovers will appreciate the care that goes into every item in this basket.
The basket has changed slightly since we first tried it in 2018, but the delicious sausages remain the same. We particularly enjoyed the spicy chorizo rioja and the zesty, cumin-flavored loukaniko. The smooth and nutty pâté is sumptuous (it’s topped with the traditional layer of fat, which helps preserve the pâté, prevents oxidation, and also makes the whole thing tastier). As for accompaniments, the briny pickled beets help cut the richness of the meats and cheese. (The previous cheese and crackers we tried took a backseat to the charcuterie, but we didn’t mind—every item in this basket has a role, and theirs is to be a vehicle for more salami.) We haven’t tried the basket’s new additions: the Devil’s Gulch seasonal cheese from Cowgirl Creamery, the Jacobsen Honey from Oregon, the Clovis mustard from France, the salted almonds, and the Castelvetrano olives. But we’re confident they’ll make lovely companions to the charcuterie in this basket.
This box is pricey, but we think the quality of the meat from Olympia Provisions and the level of craftsmanship warrant the cost. “I’m not a charcuterie person, but these are delicious,” said one tester.
What’s inside: loukaniko, chorizo rioja, Nola, and saucisson sec salamis; pork & hazelnut pâté; pickled beets; Devil’s Gulch seasonal cheese from Cowgirl Creamery; Jacobsen Honey; salted almonds; Castelvetrano olives; Clovis mini mustard; crackers from Rustic Bakery
Potential allergens: dairy, tree nuts, wheat; processed in a facility with fish, dairy, wheat, eggs, and nuts
Shipping: free within the US (including Hawaii and Alaska)
Imported Italian goodies: Gustiamo Party in Cucina Basket
Photo: Marilyn Ong
Our pick
Gustiamo Party in Cucina
This box features a sampling of edible Italian delights for throwing together a simple pasta dish, plus coffee beans and a jar of cacao e nocciole for an after-dinner treat.
Why it’s great: Founded in 1999, Gustiamo is a Bronx-based Italian-American food importer known for sourcing quality ingredients from Italy. They offer a wide selection of beautifully curated gift baskets, but we think the luxurious Gustiamo Party in Cucina box is approachable enough to appeal to most recipients, whether they be clients, colleagues, or family.
It has all of the ingredients for putting together a quick pasta dish: a bag of durum wheat semolina pasta, sweet Piennolo tomatoes in a jar, meaty black olives that are incredibly mild but delicious, a large bag of coarse sea salt, and a bottle of gorgeous Pianogrillo olive oil. This box also includes a can of wood-roasted coffee beans and a jar of cacao e nocciole spread, a chocolate and hazelnut confection that’s like a fancy Nutella (which was temporarily replaced with a jar of raw almond spread at the time of our testing) that could be enjoyed as a light dessert or breakfast.
We wanted to taste the ingredients as simply as possible, so we cooked the pasta al dente, and tossed it with the tomatoes barely warmed with some garlic and olive oil, which was both comforting and delicious. We also used the Pianogrillo olive oil to roast a head of cauliflower, but it would be just as delicious on its own, mopped up with a slice of ciabatta or focaccia.
We love that all of these Italian goodies come packaged in a cool-looking reclaimed wooden crate—an added detail that makes this gift basket feel even more special. Though this box is among the most expensive that we recommend, we think the quality of the products and the overall presentation are well worth it.
What’s inside: Coarse sea salt, Piennolo tomatoes, Maccheroni di Toscana Martelli pasta,
Bella di Cerignola black olives, Pianogrillo extra virgin olive oil, whole coffee beans, and cacao e nocciole spread
Potential allergens: tree nuts, wheat
Cost: $140
Shipping: $7.75 (plus $2 per additional item purchased, or a flat rate of $19.75 if you order over 7 or more additional items). Call 718-860-2949 or email gustiteam@gustiamo.com for shipping rates outside the continental US.
A big box of the best beans: Rancho Gordo Deluxe Gift Box
Photo: Sarah Kobos
Our pick
Rancho Gordo Deluxe Gift Box
For cooking enthusiasts who have tasted it all before, these heirloom beans and an accompanying cookbook will inspire creativity in the kitchen.
We’ve noticed stock issues with this item. We’ll update this article once it’s available again.
Why it’s great: We think the Rancho Gordo Deluxe Gift Box would win the hearts of vegans and vegetarians, food-history enthusiasts, adventurous home cooks, and chefs alike. Rancho Gordo is a California company dedicated to finding and sourcing the highest-quality beans from Mexico, Central California, Oregon, Washington, and New Mexico. Offerings change based on what’s available: The company harvests every fall, and it sells most of its beans within that year, so everything is fresh—you don’t even have to soak these beans overnight, as you would dried ones from the supermarket. Also, the beans will keep for a year or two, ideally stored in a dark, cool, dry place, so the recipient can savor them over time.
The Deluxe Gift Box includes five 1-pound bags of snugly packed, colorful heirloom beans that are unlike anything you’ve ever tasted from a bag or a can. They’re springy, with a creamy and tender inside, and they possess a subtle, nutty sweetness. Each bag of beans comes with simple cooking instructions. The gift box also includes a sturdy canvas tote bearing the company’s logo, a cookbook, and a postcard with directions for slow-cooker, pressure-cooker, and stove-top methods. Beans are too often an afterthought, and this collection will delight anyone who appreciates quality ingredients or loves trying unique heirloom foods.
What’s inside: five 1-pound bags of various Rancho Gordo heirloom beans, The Rancho Gordo Vegetarian Kitchen by Steve Sando and Julia Newberry, one cloth tote bag
Shipping: $10 West Coast; $12 Central US and East Coast; $15 Alaska, Hawaii, and PO boxes
Superior spices for any pantry: Curio Spice Company Culinary Essentials
Photo: Marguerite Preston
Our pick
Why it’s great: Anyone who enjoys cooking will appreciate the Curio Spice Company Culinary Essentials box. Curio toasts and/or grinds many of its spices in-house. And the company sources spices from small, sustainable farms around the world, as well as locally in New England, which explains the superior quality and flavor (a far cry from what you’ll find in most supermarkets). Just by looking at these spices—especially the vibrant colors of the smoked paprika, turmeric, and chile flakes—you can tell they’re incredibly fresh. When you open them, their scents are vibrant and nuanced. We think the Curio spices would make a wonderful housewarming present.
This box includes common spices the gift recipient will reach for daily (unlike many spice blends that often get shoved to the back of a cabinet and go unused). We loved the Maras pepper flakes (also called Marash, a common substitute for Aleppo pepper), which we found to be tender and flavorful. Also among our favorites: the oregano, which had a strong, piney fragrance, and the black peppercorns, with their punchy flavor. The cumin was fresh and bright, not gritty or musty, and the sea salt had a slightly moist texture. In addition to the spices, the box includes three printed recipes (we didn’t test the recipes, but they all sound delicious).
The spices are neatly bagged and labeled with brief descriptions and cooking suggestions, and everything is packed in a little cardboard box, filled with crimped shredded paper and tied with a ribbon. The spice box is secured with packing popcorn, and everything is enveloped in colorful tissue paper. The only drawback to this box is that the zip-top bags the spices are packed in may be inconvenient for long-term storage (we’d recommend transferring the spices to jars after opening).
What’s inside: Egyptian cumin, Sri Lankan black pepper, Maine sea salt, Turkish Maras chile flakes, Sri Lankan turmeric, Korintje Cassia cinnamon, Greek oregano, Spanish smoked paprika, and three recipe cards
Shipping: $5.50 flat rate based on weight
Honorable mentions
Photo: Sarah Kobos
Crowd-pleasing European cheeses
We think any of the generous cheese gift baskets (starting at $75) from Formaggio Kitchen (based in New York City and Cambridge, Massachusetts) are a great value, if a little generic. They include a wide array of traditional European cheeses, as well as a fancy honey that testers loved. These baskets have evolved slightly since we first tried one in 2018, and they now include olives, nuts, salami, a chocolate bar, and jam, depending on the size. We largely preferred Jasper Hill Farm’s more flavorful offerings, but the Formaggio baskets would still be a safe bet to send to clients, colleagues, or family. Plus, the gift basket we tried was the only one that came in an actual basket (though you can opt for a tote bag instead).
Photo: Sarah Kobos
Lots to nosh (both savory and sweet)
Zingerman’s The Weekender Gift Box ($100) is one of the beloved Michigan-based grocer’s most popular baskets. We like that most of the contents have a longer shelf life, but we wished that the sweets were more distinctive and that there were spreads to go with the crusty bread (which was dry on its own). The baked goods themselves were tasty and soft, and we particularly enjoyed the tangy sour cream coffee cake. Overall, this is a solid collection for snacking and would be appreciated at a gathering. Zingerman’s is a great resource for other gift baskets, with collections appropriate for occasions ranging from sending condolences to celebrating holidays. And Zingerman’s has unique offerings like the Tin of Tinned Fish collection (which Wirecutter supervising editor Winnie Yang has ordered and loves). You can also create custom baskets or order a selection of the company’s specialty items.
Photo: Marguerite Preston
Varied, versatile spice blends
In addition to Curio Spice Company’s offering, we also tried the Savory Spice Shop’s Round the World Spice Set ($58), which includes a mix of spice blends. We like that most of these blends are versatile and that some (such as the za’atar, garam masala, and herbes de Provence) are familiar, so it’s not hard to find ways to use them (which can be an issue with more unusual blends). The spices themselves are fresh and of good quality, but they are not exceptionally vibrant compared with the Curio spices we tested. Many of the blends also include cumin, so if the recipient hates cumin, this set is not recommended. That said, we still think the Savory Spice Shop box would make a great gift for anyone who enjoys global cuisines or the convenience of cooking with spice blends.
