Hey There,
All season long we have been sharing thoughtful gift options for those special people in your life. We would be remised if we didn’t share with you our holiday charcuterie gift basket.
We are so proud of this basket, and we genuinely love every item in it. We just know that you or whoever you gift it to will love every item as well. Of course, we only chose the best items, but we also chose items that could be paired together to create your own at-home charcuterie board. We wanted this basket to be something you use throughout the holiday season to entertain family and friends. A home-crafted charcuterie board made from these items would be perfect for a family holiday movie night or for a small white elephant party.
In this post we are sharing exactly what you will receive in your basket as well as several ways you can use the ingredients to build the perfect at-home charcuterie board.
We hope that you will love every ingredient in this basket and that it will help to brighten your or a loved one’s holiday season.
Each charcuterie gift basket includes,
- Mini-On-The-Go Charcuterie Box
- Endangered Species, Dark Chocolate Bar
- Assorted Mini Jams and Marmalades
- Faustman’s Salami or Vegan Hellenic Salami
- Assorted Fresh Fruits
- Candied Pecans
- Linda Grams, Graham Crackers
- Caramel Popcorn
- Zach and Zoe, Wildflower Raw Honey
- Handmade Stovetop Potpourri
- The Kitchen on Wellington, Whipped Ricotta Dip
- Lady Joseph Sesame Biscuits
- Lady Joseph Cocoa Biscuits
- Lady Joseph Aromatic Herbs and Olive Oil Crackers
- 4-Piece Cheese Knife Set
As soon as you receive your basket, we suggest refrigerating the ricotta dip as well as the mini charcuterie box unless you choose to dive right in and enjoy. Now the mini charcuterie box is for you or for your loved one to enjoy as a special treat. Of course, you can share it with someone special, but the box is perfectly portioned for one, so we suggest settling into a nice cozy spot, pouring a glass of wine and relaxing while enjoying your personal charcuterie bites.
When you are ready to build your at-home charcuterie board we suggest that you start by prepping the ricotta dip. We suggest serving it one of two ways.
- Serve with a store-bought jam or a home-made berry compote consisting of citrus, vanilla, blueberries and blackberries. A quick recipe for our favorite compote is below.
- Serve with fresh herbs, a dash of salt and pepper and a healthy drizzle of olive oil.
Before you serve you board, place the stovetop potpourri onto the stove, gently warm and let the aroma fill your home. To start building your board, grab your favorite board. We suggest selecting one that can serve 3 to 6 people. If you don’t have a board, you can always opt for a platter. And if you are in the market for a charcuterie board, do check out our list of boards we think are great for the season.
This board features a combination of sweet and savory items, and you can easily add additional ingredients to make it your own or to make it more fitting for a larger crowd. Some items we suggest adding are:
- Grapes
- Persimmons
- Cheddar
- Smoked Gouda
- Gorgonzola
- Manchego
- Water Crackers
To assemble your board, start placing your ingredients or reference this quick guide if you need some inspiration.
- Start by arranging the honey, and jams onto the board. Either pour the honey into a smaller bowl or serve directly from the jar. Be sure to include your favorite honey wand so that guests can easily serve themselves. Arrange the mini jars of jams and marmalades across the board, spacing them out so that all who are enjoying can easily access.
- Cut the salami into slices and arrange onto the board.
- Garnish the ricotta dip and place it in a small bowl on the corner of the board.
- Slice the oranges, pear and apple and arrange onto the board. You can add additional fruits such as, persimmons and grapes for added variety.
- Prepare the pomegranate. The aerials can be place into a small bowl for all to enjoy or they can be broken into small clusters and placed throughout the board.
- Arrange the chocolate bar alongside the fruit.
- Fill in any empty holes on the board with the candied pecans.
- Serve the popcorn in a two small bowls on opposite sides of the board.
- Arrange Lady Joesph Sesame Crackers, Lady Joseph Olive Oil and Herb and Lady Joseph Cocoa Crackers around the popcorn bowls.
- Arrange Linda Grams close to the fresh fruit.
- Place the cheese knives around the board so that snackers can easily access.
If you opt to incorporate jam into your ricotta dip, we love the compote recipe below. It’s not too sweet and nicely compliments the dip.
Citrus and Vanilla Berry Compote
Ingredients
- 1 pint blueberries
- 1 pint blackberries
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 3 tbsp dark brown sugar
- zest of 1/2 orange
- juice of one orange
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 3 tbsp water
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan combine blueberries, blackberries, orange juice, sugars and orange zest over medium heat.
- Cook until the berries begin to burst and cook down. The mixture will begin to thicken.
- Stir in the vanilla
- In a separate bowl, combine the water and the cornstarch to create a slurry.
- While stirring, pour in the cornstarch mixture. This will immediately thicken the compote. Continue to stir until the mixture becomes think enough to coat the back of your spoon.
- Remove from heat and allow to completely cool.
- To serve, drizzle some of the mixture on top of the ricotta dip.