Gift baskets filled with goodies from the farmers' market are easy to create and sure to please anyone on your list. The market information booth is a good place to start. You'll find long handled market bags for sale, ready to hold your purchases, or simply buy a market gift certificate to be used at a later date - the Sunday Walnut Creek market remains open year-round.

Several stands offer food and beverages that stand up well in gift baskets. Packages of dried fruits and raisins from EGB and Hamada Farms, pomegranates from Lone Oak and Tepley Farms, bags of California whole grain rice from Masa Organics, Oak Town Jerk, packaged teas and tea accessories from Holy Cow and bags of almonds and walnuts are perfect choices for the food-lovers basket.

If you like to add a little of your own touch to the basket try spicing up the almonds with this recipe. Spread 2 to 3 cups of whole, raw almonds on a baking sheet and toast in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until golden brown (watch carefully as they burn quickly). Stir 1/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper together in a mixing bowl. Stir 1 tablespoon water, 1 tablespoon honey and 1 teaspoon olive oil together in a large skillet and bring to a boil over medium heat. Then stir in toasted almonds and coat evenly. Pour this mixture into the sugar mixture and toss to coat. Cool to room temperature before packaging up for the gift basket.

For the cook in the family put together a 4 pack sampler of balsamic vinegars from Bistro Blends, Bariani olive oil, heads of garlic and red onions from Ratto Farms and a gift certificate for knife sharpening from The Critical Edge.

Build a breakfast basket or bag with a choice of Cottage Kitchen preserves, Suki's chutneys, Edith's granola, Smit Farms apple butter, a jar of local honey from Steve's Bees and freshly roasted coffee beans.

For the hard-to-buy-for gift basket check out Curtis Jammin' Kettle Corn - the caramel, double sweet and cinnamon flavors keep for 2 to 3 weeks. Add Devoto Farms hard cider made from Sebastopol Gravenstein apples, beeswax candles, hand made soaps and creams and a something special from one of the unique craft booths that are set up only during the holidays.

And be sure to stop by the information booth for your complimentary gift wrap of market purchases during market hours in December.

Enjoy and see you at the market!