I think one of the things I’m most thankful for this year might be that I got to eat this charcuterie board, haha. Well, it’s up there is all I’m saying. It doesn’t matter that the radiators in our apartment still aren’t working, or that I’ve been wearing endless layers for so long now that I can’t even remember where they end and I begin. All that matters was getting that feeling, a special mixture of gratitude and pride, that only comes when sharing an overwhelmingly special meal you prepared with loved ones. When you put this much thought into a meal, or creating anything, seeing it in front of you (and better still, getting to eat it) is literally dreaming came true. The guys working on the apartment behind us contributed the soundtrack to the evening, and looking back on this Thanksgiving charcuterie board, I’ll always think of Bob Marley blaring through the walls:
I wanna love you – love and treat you right;
I wanna love you every day and every night:
We’ll be together, yeah! – with a roof right over our heads;
We’ll share the shelter, yeah, oh now! – of my single bed;
We’ll share the same room, yeah! – for Jah provide the bread.
So what’s on this thing?
Charcuterie – prosciutto…hot coppa..finocchiona
Cheese – sheep’s feta with preserved lemon and rosemary..goat cheese with dried currants, pecans roasted in chili oil
Sweets – roasted grapes..bartlett pear..boozy fig and cardamom butter..pomegranate arils
Spreads – pumpkin hummus..chipotle/cranberry sauce..roasted mushroom and sage pesto..corn butter
The pickled -peppadew peppers…roasted red pepper and black olive tapenade
The rest– garlicky sauteed kale..roasted tomatoes..rosemary and garlic roasted turkey breast..arugula..boule made with whey..clementines..fennel tops..roasted pumpkin seeds
As for what I’m thankful for, luckily I posted this on facebook two months ago as right now I’m running late for a movie so no time to be thoughtful:
“It’s ridiculous how loved I am. I wouldn’t find it hard to believe if I were informed that I am, actually, the most loved. I think the universe has a crush on me. Nobody has ever harmed a hair on my pretty, weird head. I’m always astounded by my luck, but today it’s sinking in particularly deep.
I get messages all day from Burton to the effect of ‘you are pure magic’. The other night I dragged him to a chinese arthouse movie he hated, but still, returning with more popcorn he whispered to me ‘you’re by far the prettiest one in the theater. by far’. He’s the best thing the world has to offer, and he’s mine, and he loves me.
I came home a few weeks ago to find, inexplicably, a dresser drawer filled with records on my front lawn. I have no idea who put them there, but thanks for loving me (I probably love you too).
I’m thankful for like Kiefer not blocking my email even though I’m a nigerian prince. And I’m so crazy thankful that we get to spam the world with our ideas in paper format with the zine and that people are so receptive to it.
I’m so thankful for a city that takes care of me
I’m thankful that the entrance to my garden is through a literal tunnel of tomatoes that whenever I enter I feel like I’m crawling into my own brain. I’m grateful to have a home that feels more like a fort or treehouse than a conventional 25 year old’s apartment.
And I’m thankful for every stranger that talks to me about movies.
And for my sister, who happens to be the dopest lady.
Thanks for being interested. Thanks for looking at the things that surround me.”
Pumpkin Hummus
ingredients
3 cups roasted pumpkin
4 garlic cloves
1/4 bunch of parlsey
1 shallot
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp fresh ground black pepper (if pre-ground and fine, use less)
1 tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
3/4 cup tahini
Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend for several minutes, until very smooth.
Chipotle/Cranberry Sauce –
recipe located in this post: Thanksgiving Tacos
Goat Cheese with Dried Currants and Pecans Roasted in Chili Oil
ingredients
6 oz goat cheese
2 tbsp dried currants
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary
3/4 cup pecans, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp chili oil
salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix the pecans with the olive oil, sugar and chili oil. Roast for 3 minutes, stir, then roast for 3 more minutes until slightly hardened. Let cool slightly, then mix in with the goat cheese. Add herbs and currants, stir well. Salt and pepper, to taste. Roll in wax paper, into a small log, and put in the refrigerator until just before use.
Feta with Preserved Lemon and Rosemary
ingredients
1 cup fresh feta, crumbled
3 oz cream cheese
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
peel of one preserved lemon, chopped
In a medium bowl, stir all ingredients until well combined.
Boule baked with whey
Recipe located here, sub whey for water and shape into a ball instead of baguette: Brie & Fresh Fig Crostini
Boozy Fig and Cardamom Butter
ingredients
1 pound fresh figs, chopped into small pieces
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tsp ground cardamom
In a medium sized pot, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil then simmer until soft and the figs are easily mashable. Blend using a fork or food processor. Ferment until slightly alcoholic.
Roasted Red Pepper and Black Olive Tapenade
ingredients
1 red bell pepper
1/2 cup black olives
1 tbsp capers
2 anchovy fillets
3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup fennel tops
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 of a peel of a preserved lemon (or 1 tbsp lemon juice)
Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until it’s the consistency of a paste.
Corn Butter
ingredients
2 ears of corn
Cut the kernels from the cob, making sure to save the liquid. Place in a food processor and blend until smooth. Press through a fine metal sieve with a spatula, discard the solids. Pour the strained mixture into a pot and bring to a boil, then simmer 3 minutes.
Roasted Mushroom Pesto
recipe located here: Roasted Mushroom, Pumpkin & Sage Pesto Filled Ravioli
I made a charcuterie board because yours was an absolute inspiration to me. It was a huge hit.
Liz Malchow Price
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Yeah, yours looked awesome!
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