The older I get, the more I cherish gifts that create experiences and spark adventures — a couple of tickets to the hottest show, a hard to get restaurant reservation, a family vacation to a special place, a 90-minute massage (hint hint). Their fleeting nature requires you to be fully present, to hold them and make memories. I no longer have the psychic space — or physical space for that matter — for yet another pair of earrings, pajamas, or slippers, lovely as they may be. I have enough objects — more than enough — and I’d really like to divest myself of so many of them, but that’s a story for another day, or maybe as part of my January resolutions.
But one type of gift that really resonates with me is anything homemade and delicious. It conveys time and effort not to mention thoughtfulness on the part of the giver — a true expression of generosity. Some of my favorite homemade items (to give and receive) have been marshmallows, granola, limoncello, herb salts, jams and jellies, toffee and caramels, and fancy-pants Chex mixes. Packaging and wrapping are equally important. A beautiful jar or box, wrapped and decorated, demonstrates care and creativity. I often pair one of these homemade gifts with something else — a beautiful pot, platter, or set of coffee mugs or bowls for example.
This holiday, I plan to give boxes of our amazing seafood to friends and family, which will conveniently arrive at their homes, according to their schedules. But on the big day, when we’re all exchanging presents, it’s nice to have something tangible to unwrap along with that promise of a gift. This is where something homemade comes in. As part of the gift, I’ll put my gravlax seasoning mix (100% shelf stable) into decorative jars and I’ll handwrite instructions for how to use it with the salmon they’re going to get later on. Useful, practical, and ultimately consumable – my ideal object-free gift.
If you’d like to do the same, I’ve added the ingredients for you to put into jars and the instructions to add to the gift card in your own handwriting. To make it even easier for gifting, print out the QR code for a link to a recipe card.
Happy giving and receiving!
Gravlax blend–makes enough for 4 boxes
1 cup light brown sugar
½ cup kosher salt
2 tablespoons dried dill
1 tablespoon crushed juniper berries
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
Instructions to include
Sprinkle about 2 to 3 tablespoons of the spice blend onto the top side of an 8 to 12 ounce portion of salmon and set it, skin-side down in a glass, ceramic, or plastic container. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 12 to 48 hours. The longer the cure, the firmer and saltier the gravlax will be.
