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Adopt an olive tree from Nudo, a collection of seven groves in central Italy. Not only will you be supporting small-scale farming, but your chosen recipient will receive pretty tins of extra-virgin olive oil in the spring and fall. Each grove grows different varietals, resulting in oil that can be peppery, fruity, or buttery. a$96.85 plus $37 for shipping at nudo-italia.com.
Chicagoan Katherine Anne Duncan makes her hand-dipped truffles with Guittard chocolate and local honey. Her medley of holiday truffles includes seasonal flavors—cranberry blood-orange, apple pie, and pumpkin—made with locally grown produce. They come in handmade, biodegradable fair-trade boxes that are recyclable and biodegradable. a$9.50-$42 at local retailers and katherine-anne.com.
Pastoral’s Best of the Midwest gift set features three cheeses by regional producers: Big Woods Blue, a sheep’s milk blue from Minnesota; Little Darling, a cow’s milk tomme from Wisconsin; and Capriole Farm’s O’Banon, a goat cheese wrapped in bourbon-soaked chestnut leaves, from Indiana. Other goodies include Blooming Tree Farmstead Honey from central Illinois and organic Potter’s Crackers from Madison. a$59.99 at Pastoral, 2945 N. Broadway, 773-472-4781, or 53 E. Lake, 312-658-1250, pastoralartisan.com.
