Harry & David Pepper & Onion Relish, 10 oz

Harry & David built its name in Medford, Oregon, where the company has been packing gourmet food and shipping gift boxes for more than eighty years. This relish is one of the items that made that reputation. It is chunky rather than smooth, sweet at the front, savory underneath, with a slow warmth that shows up after the sweetness rather than ahead of it.

The classic way to serve it is the one the brand is known for: turn the jar out over a block of cream cheese, set crackers alongside, and let people scoop. It takes a minute to put together, and it is the reason a lot of households keep a spare jar in the cupboard from Thanksgiving through New Year's.

The rest of the year it does quieter work as a condiment. Spoon it onto burgers and hot dogs, layer it into a sandwich or a grilled cheese, stir it into a pan sauce, or set the open jar on a cheese board next to something sharp and aged.