Let the holiday parties begin!
This is prime time for individuals like my wife, who are natural-born party planners. As for me, I’d rather just show up.
Indeed, some of us do things last-minute – at least in our social lives – making this time of year both a blessing and a curse. It’s fun to be invited to a seasonal shindig, but less fun to host one. Which is why I’m willing to pay a few bucks for somebody else do the grunt work.
Have you ever tried to slice, dice and cube a pile of veggies, cheeses and meats, and then arrange them into a half decent party platter? Or to be even more posh, a charcuterie board?
DIY Charcuterie Board
The last item, by the way, is a bit of an artform involving a hand-picked assortment of meats and cheeses, often accompanied by fruit, nuts, crackers, and even jellies. To give our own store a plug, Vince’s does carry a selection of hand-crafted units, which make an even more elegant statement than your beaten-up and stained cutting board.
We also have a brilliant selection of international, domestic and offbeat cheeses – from tame to adventurous. I’m not big on the “stinky” cheeses like stilton, Roquefort and limburger, but I do like them bold. And we have them all, along with mild ones like emmental, gouda, and Havarti, with the aged version of the latter being much more interesting.
Grab a couple of jars of Vince’s Own jellies (I love the sweet cranberry cab merlot flavour), along with a few deli meats and crackers – all the while exercising the art of placement – and you’re set for your next soiree!
If that sounds like too much work, we’ll even shoulder that load with one or more of our pre-made or even larger made-to-order platters.
Pre-Made Grab and Go Party Platters
I usually opt for the pre-made variety, as they’re grab-and-go. And even if you’re not having a party, a veggie, fruit, or combination platter (ie. vegetable and pumpernickel with spinach dip; or fruit and cubed cheese) makes the ideal healthy snack to enjoy alongside your favourite TV sporting event. Like this week’s tennis finals.
For a larger gathering, Vince’s dedicated platter team can put together a more elaborate assortment of savoury and sweet items to impress your guests.
Here are a few healthy options:
Vegetable Platter: carrots, broccoli, celery, cauliflower, red, green and yellow peppers, and cherry tomatoes with vegetable dip.
Fruit Platter: A colourful arrangement of cantaloupe, oranges, grapes, strawberries, honeydew melon, pineapple, and seedless watermelon.
If you’re a fan of all things Mediterranean, try the Antipasto Platter. It includes roasted red peppers, olives, bocconcini, and marinated items like eggplant, sundried tomatoes, artichokes and mushrooms.
Also healthy, and more of a meal, is the vegetarian wrap platter. This includes a combo of cheddar cheese, cucumber, shredded carrots, hummus, spring mix, cream cheese, and alfalfa.
And what better way to top off a nutritious meal, than with a tray of sweets? The “Dessert Platter,” which is an assortment of squares and other treats, may not be low-cal or fit into your keto diet, but it’s hard to resist.
Just give us at least 24 hours notice, and we’ll have everything hand-crafted and ready for pickup or delivery. And then enjoy your gathering, rather than fussing about in the kitchen.
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Bon appetit!
— Neil
