Help me make a super charcuterie-style board for New Year's Eve
December 6, 2023 6:15 PM Subscribe
What the title says, snowflakes inside.
For New Year's Eve me and a friend are going to a nifty chalet style hotel in the woods. but not too far from anything.
Since our favorite local restaurant will be closed on NYE (it's Sunday night to them) we looked at the prix fixe dinner at the hotel for $80 and decided it was too much she couldn't have (prime rib, etc.) So we will make our own fare. It turns out neither of us are terribly imaginative. I have cheese, chocolate, cutie oranges, and grapes. See what I mean?
--Neither of us drink alcohol
--She's a vegan
--I'm gluten fee
--I can't do nuts or seeds but they can certainly be used separately.
Suggestions for fun non-alcoholic drinks also welcome.
For New Year's Eve me and a friend are going to a nifty chalet style hotel in the woods. but not too far from anything.
Since our favorite local restaurant will be closed on NYE (it's Sunday night to them) we looked at the prix fixe dinner at the hotel for $80 and decided it was too much she couldn't have (prime rib, etc.) So we will make our own fare. It turns out neither of us are terribly imaginative. I have cheese, chocolate, cutie oranges, and grapes. See what I mean?
--Neither of us drink alcohol
--She's a vegan
--I'm gluten fee
--I can't do nuts or seeds but they can certainly be used separately.
Suggestions for fun non-alcoholic drinks also welcome.
Hi I am all about snacks and eating with your eyes and making piles of nibbles.
For your specific (vegan and gluten free) situation I would make:
Spicy melon balls (your favorite melon scooped with an ice cream scoop and seasoned with chili powder, sugar and salt)
Pickled onions or peppers and super fancy olives/homemade olive tapenade
A chilled vegan soup served in tiny bowls or cups and garnished elaborately with fresh herbs and things
Most importantly I would seize this opportunity to enjoy creating decorative vegetables because shapes are magic.
posted by RobinofFrocksley at 8:04 PM on December 6, 2023 [4 favorites]
For your specific (vegan and gluten free) situation I would make:
Spicy melon balls (your favorite melon scooped with an ice cream scoop and seasoned with chili powder, sugar and salt)
Pickled onions or peppers and super fancy olives/homemade olive tapenade
A chilled vegan soup served in tiny bowls or cups and garnished elaborately with fresh herbs and things
Most importantly I would seize this opportunity to enjoy creating decorative vegetables because shapes are magic.
posted by RobinofFrocksley at 8:04 PM on December 6, 2023 [4 favorites]
- Make homemade ginger ale (the yeasty kind if possible)
- Look up non-alcoholic cocktail recipes
- Cheese. Go to the store. Explore.
- Fig spread, goat cheese, fancy cracker
- Olives. Go to the fancy grocery store. Explore.
- Pickles. Find a roadside stand, farmer's market, or lots of other places.
- Have you ever shopped for shortbread cookies on Etsy? Try to narrow the search to your state or city.
posted by amtho at 9:08 PM on December 6, 2023
- Look up non-alcoholic cocktail recipes
- Cheese. Go to the store. Explore.
- Fig spread, goat cheese, fancy cracker
- Olives. Go to the fancy grocery store. Explore.
- Pickles. Find a roadside stand, farmer's market, or lots of other places.
- Have you ever shopped for shortbread cookies on Etsy? Try to narrow the search to your state or city.
posted by amtho at 9:08 PM on December 6, 2023
Snack ideas - dolmas, those awesome gigante beans marinated in vinaigrette, whole roasted garlic and a thinly sliced baguette to spread it on, vegan chocolate cupcakes, edamame in the pod dipped in smoked salt and nori flakes, fresh strawberries sprinkled with sugar mixed with lemon zest, jicama sticks sprinkled with lime and chile.
Beverage possibilities - warm apple cider with cinnamon sticks, orange juice and seltzer with angostura bitters and a splash of grenadine, muddled cucumber mint and lime in sparkling water, chai concentrate on frothed or just warmed oat milk with a sprinkle of cocoa powder, or one of the million variations on a non alcoholic Negroni - here’s a recipe that looks fairly in line with the best ones I’ve tried but poke around and see what’s out there.
posted by Mizu at 9:12 PM on December 6, 2023 [4 favorites]
Beverage possibilities - warm apple cider with cinnamon sticks, orange juice and seltzer with angostura bitters and a splash of grenadine, muddled cucumber mint and lime in sparkling water, chai concentrate on frothed or just warmed oat milk with a sprinkle of cocoa powder, or one of the million variations on a non alcoholic Negroni - here’s a recipe that looks fairly in line with the best ones I’ve tried but poke around and see what’s out there.
posted by Mizu at 9:12 PM on December 6, 2023 [4 favorites]
There are some amazing vegan cheese available these days - many are nut-based but you could get dairy cheese for yourself. Dried fruits - prunes, figs, cranberries for seasonality.
Think also about contrasting flavours & textures: sweet and salty/savoury; brunch and smooth; fresh/refreshing (strawberries) versus dense, calorific (cheese, olives).
Where are you? If you are in the global north try and lean into what's in season - so instead of berries and melon it might be oranges and tangerines; it will be much more delicious.
posted by lulu68 at 9:22 PM on December 6, 2023 [2 favorites]
Think also about contrasting flavours & textures: sweet and salty/savoury; brunch and smooth; fresh/refreshing (strawberries) versus dense, calorific (cheese, olives).
Where are you? If you are in the global north try and lean into what's in season - so instead of berries and melon it might be oranges and tangerines; it will be much more delicious.
posted by lulu68 at 9:22 PM on December 6, 2023 [2 favorites]
Maybe a bubbly bottle of Proxies which are nice and complex in a wine/champagne like way without being “fake wine”.
I love dried figs and dates and olives and gherkins.
A jam or chutney or mostarda or two. Maybe a whole grain mustard depending on what else you’ve got.
A nice tinned fish, if it won’t bother the vegan.
posted by jeweled accumulation at 9:30 PM on December 6, 2023
I love dried figs and dates and olives and gherkins.
A jam or chutney or mostarda or two. Maybe a whole grain mustard depending on what else you’ve got.
A nice tinned fish, if it won’t bother the vegan.
posted by jeweled accumulation at 9:30 PM on December 6, 2023
I think of this kind of girl dinner/snack plate eating as mini hors d'oeuvres selection for a cocktail party, and since I'm a child of the seventies, I think toothpicks, crackers, pates and fondues. Vegan fondues with vegetables and gluten free bread, and pates, like a mushroom pate, and marinated vegetables like artichoke hearts, mushrooms, and olives would be my first stop. That could go with light virgin Cesars or Marys or my go to virgin drink favorite when I have the choice, elderflower drinks.
posted by provoliminal at 12:27 AM on December 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by provoliminal at 12:27 AM on December 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
Have you asked at the hotel if they could make a vegan option, perhaps as room service if you don't enjoy a noisy bunch of drunk people?
Making a meal in a hotel room is always a bit of a fiddly thing, but it might even be worse on New Years Eve in the woods. How do you clean up?
Not to be a Debbie Downer, here are some ideas:
A cauliflower salad like this one. Keeps and travels well, tastes great and looks festive. There's parmesan in the dressing, but you don't need that at all.
Cold noodle salad
Onigiri and (store-bought) tsukemono
posted by mumimor at 1:19 AM on December 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
Making a meal in a hotel room is always a bit of a fiddly thing, but it might even be worse on New Years Eve in the woods. How do you clean up?
Not to be a Debbie Downer, here are some ideas:
A cauliflower salad like this one. Keeps and travels well, tastes great and looks festive. There's parmesan in the dressing, but you don't need that at all.
Cold noodle salad
Onigiri and (store-bought) tsukemono
posted by mumimor at 1:19 AM on December 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
I include on my boards cheese, meat, fancy spread (for example, apple fennel), olives, dried apricots, fresh fruit, fresh veg (cucumbers or cherry tomatoes), sometimes pickled veg, nuts, crackers.
For a vegan, I would replace the meat and cheese with full gluten canapés like bruschetta.
I use sparkling cider in a champagne glass for festive meals.
posted by shock muppet at 5:28 AM on December 7, 2023
For a vegan, I would replace the meat and cheese with full gluten canapés like bruschetta.
I use sparkling cider in a champagne glass for festive meals.
posted by shock muppet at 5:28 AM on December 7, 2023
Other options might be:
hummus and pita chips
guacamole
gf pretzels
candied nuts
mini crepes (blinis) - can be vegan and gf
roasted peppers
olive tapenade
posted by jraz at 6:20 AM on December 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
hummus and pita chips
guacamole
gf pretzels
candied nuts
mini crepes (blinis) - can be vegan and gf
roasted peppers
olive tapenade
posted by jraz at 6:20 AM on December 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
For vegan snackuterie, and especially if gluten free, I like to include some great potato and corn chips instead of those sometimes sad hard GF crackers. Popcorn - especially sweet and salty blends. Sour vegan gummy candy for a pop. Use some spring mix or microgreens as edible garnish, or if you come up with some dips that are both vegan and nut-free even get some endive or romaine hearts (cut into "crackers") for dippers.
Most grocery stores seem to carry some kind of multicolor (sometimes labeled "heirloom") grape tomatoes, and they're the only edible winter tomato and make a nice sharp bite - halve them to prevent tomato-ing your hotel room with a too-juicy bite.
posted by Lyn Never at 6:30 AM on December 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
Most grocery stores seem to carry some kind of multicolor (sometimes labeled "heirloom") grape tomatoes, and they're the only edible winter tomato and make a nice sharp bite - halve them to prevent tomato-ing your hotel room with a too-juicy bite.
posted by Lyn Never at 6:30 AM on December 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
I am fond of caponata for this. You can make it or just buy from an Italian deli.
posted by BibiRose at 7:34 AM on December 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by BibiRose at 7:34 AM on December 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
Have you heard of bagna caude? It is basically garlic butter/oil with anchovies that you dip fresh vegetables and bread in. There are really cute butter warmers that go over a tealight candle that would make this a festive eating activity.
For a VEGAN VERSION, heat good olive oil, that you like the taste of, with fresh garlic and any herbs if you want and salt, then serve with your favorite raw vegetables letting drips go on really good slices of bread that you eat when they are full of the garlicy oil. You could test that the tealight candle heats the oil enough to cook the garlic, but I would probably just make the garlicy oil ahead of time and bring it with the cut up vegetables or use a little garlic powder and salt or garlic salt instead of fresh garlic if you do not want to make it ahead of time. I might even lightly steam or blanch some of the vegetables or include some bite-sized potatoes that I precooked in the microwave or oven along with gluten-free bread. You could even add some vegan sausage slices and another dip (vegan mayo as a base or buy one).
Here's a good garlic oil recipe but feel free to estimate the ingredients:
Heat 6 tablespoons (90g) olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add 4 garlic cloves minced finely, a pinch of pepper flakes, and pinch of dried oregano and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic is softened but not browned and the raw garlic flavor is cooked out, about 5 minutes. Stir in a couple tablespoons of minced parsley/basil and a big pinch of salt to taste. Remove from heat and store in a jar to reheat and serve with the vegetables and bread.
On the same note, you could use these butter warmers to serve hot fudge (or test to see if they would melt vegan chocolate such as vegan chocolate chips from Trader Joe's or others) with your favorite fresh fruit (apples, grapes, bananas) and dried fruit (apricots, pineapple, apple rings).
posted by RoadScholar at 7:53 AM on December 7, 2023
For a VEGAN VERSION, heat good olive oil, that you like the taste of, with fresh garlic and any herbs if you want and salt, then serve with your favorite raw vegetables letting drips go on really good slices of bread that you eat when they are full of the garlicy oil. You could test that the tealight candle heats the oil enough to cook the garlic, but I would probably just make the garlicy oil ahead of time and bring it with the cut up vegetables or use a little garlic powder and salt or garlic salt instead of fresh garlic if you do not want to make it ahead of time. I might even lightly steam or blanch some of the vegetables or include some bite-sized potatoes that I precooked in the microwave or oven along with gluten-free bread. You could even add some vegan sausage slices and another dip (vegan mayo as a base or buy one).
Here's a good garlic oil recipe but feel free to estimate the ingredients:
Heat 6 tablespoons (90g) olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add 4 garlic cloves minced finely, a pinch of pepper flakes, and pinch of dried oregano and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic is softened but not browned and the raw garlic flavor is cooked out, about 5 minutes. Stir in a couple tablespoons of minced parsley/basil and a big pinch of salt to taste. Remove from heat and store in a jar to reheat and serve with the vegetables and bread.
On the same note, you could use these butter warmers to serve hot fudge (or test to see if they would melt vegan chocolate such as vegan chocolate chips from Trader Joe's or others) with your favorite fresh fruit (apples, grapes, bananas) and dried fruit (apricots, pineapple, apple rings).
posted by RoadScholar at 7:53 AM on December 7, 2023
A gluten-free snack that has gone over well when I've added it to a charcuterie board is plantain chips. You can buy them at Trader Joe's, and they match great with dips.
Fun non-alcoholic drink:
A Cherry Tale - NYT Cooking
You will need a blender for this recipe, but it is seriously so delicious.
posted by panther of the pyrenees at 11:14 AM on December 7, 2023
Fun non-alcoholic drink:
A Cherry Tale - NYT Cooking
You will need a blender for this recipe, but it is seriously so delicious.
posted by panther of the pyrenees at 11:14 AM on December 7, 2023
For a beverage, you could make a shrub. I use the cold process described in this article:
https://food52.com/blog/13831-how-to-make-shrubs-aka-drinking-vinegars-without-a-recipe
posted by OrangeDisk at 1:18 PM on December 7, 2023
https://food52.com/blog/13831-how-to-make-shrubs-aka-drinking-vinegars-without-a-recipe
posted by OrangeDisk at 1:18 PM on December 7, 2023
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posted by knile at 6:21 PM on December 6, 2023 [2 favorites]