Kitchen Play: Veggie Charcuterie Board

And there goes Christmas, just like that! If you’re anything like me, and love to spend the holiday with your family and friends, then you’ll definitely have at least one or two get togethers that you’ll be hosting this season. And as much as I’d love to put together an entire dinner with all of the fixings, from appetizers all the way to desserts, I honestly have no time for that anymore. Peter and I make the 5 hour trek back home each year, and the majority of our two weeks in Ottawa is often spent visiting family and friends that we haven’t seen in months. That doesn’t leave me with much alone at home time to prep for a fully planned dinner from start to finish! Thankfully, my friends are all a fans of potlucks, and/or have families of their own (literally, so many of our friends now have their own kids) that many of them don’t often have time for entire dinner, so that we can often get away with hosting a quick wine and snack get together.

We gather together for 4-5 hours to catch up on all the latest gossip, all the while enjoying a bottle or two of wine. But what about the food you ask? There’s got to be something served with the wine right? And yes, don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about that. Although I may not have the time to put together an entire 5 course dinner, I do have time to pull together a mean charcuterie board. I mean, how much easier can it get? The majority of the food is already prepped for you, you just have to be able to know how to go out and source different flavours that go well together.

With food sensitivities being more recognized within the recent years, I’ve come to learn that many of my friends have either committed to dietary changes either due to lifestyle preferences or specific health reasons. Putting together a full meal that takes into account everyone’s dietary preferences in this day and age can be daunting, and you don’t want to be left second guessing yourself as to whether or not your dish will pass through the scrutiny of your guests—as a host, having your guests complain upon your dishes can probably be one of the scariest things that can happen to you.

Remember how a few weeks ago I put together a veggie spaghetti bolognese for Peter without letting on that I replaced our regular turkey ground for a vegan round ground, and he ended up loving it? Well I decided to put Yves to another test to see if I would be able to pass off their products as quality meat substitutes for a charcuterie board. I invited my friends Aney and Mel over for a catch-up over some wine and snacks and presented them with my charcuterie board Their impressions? Impressed. Seriously. And I was just as impressed too. The entire process itself took under 30 minutes to put together, and it wasn’t even a messy process. One of my biggest deterrents when it comes to cooking (which leads to lots of take out), is the mess that comes with it, especially when the you’re hosting and don’t have time to worry about cleaning up your kitchen before the guests come over.

Since the majority of the products required for a charcuterie board already come prepared (minus some cheese that you’ll have to slice on your own), putting this together was a breeze. Did it pass the dietary test? Yes! Well for those that don’t eat meat products that is. Did it pass the efficiency test? Yes! I can’t say much else than the fact that it took me 30 minutes to prep, and less than 5 minutes to clean up. Did it pass the deliciousness test? Also a yes! I loved it, my friends loved it, and I’m definitely going to be putting this board together again using Yves the next time I’m in charge of hosting.

So if you’re stuck in a pinch and don’t have much time to whip something up, or you’re concerned that your regular go-to dishes might not appease all of your guests, give this charctuterie board a try. You’ll not only impress your guests with a beautifully arranged board, but their stomachs and diets will thank you as well!

Photography Credits: The Dunk Listt
This post was written in collaboration with Yves, however all views are 100% honest and my own.