Unboxed: 8 plant-based foods for holiday charcuterie and cheese boards
A new wave of vegan foods and high-end, non-alcoholic drinks make everyone feel welcome at upcoming parties and celebrations. Considering stocking these.
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RIND’s Founders Dina DiCenso and Joshua Katcher craft exceptional board-worthy cheeses from Brooklyn—a range of cultured and aged cheeses that do not shrink from their traditional dairy forebears in terms of taste and texture. These cheeses are bold and beautiful, including this spectacular bleu.
Boards that really go for it might include a small bowl containing a mound of caviar harvested traditionally from wild sturgeon found in the Caspian Sea. It’s always an indulgent treat—few of us routinely build boards with these precious fish eggs, due to price. In addition, it’s famously unsustainable. But thanks to Zeroe, which transforms sustainably harvested seaweed into little nuggets of joy, vegan caviar now is a thing—and it doesn’t harm animals, ecosystems or your wallet.
A proper board often includes pate, or some other meat-based spread to slather on fine crackers. Those pates normally involve things like poultry liver or pork fat. But the exquisite pate from San Francisco’s Prime Roots is crafted out of koji culture, a fermented products widely used in Japanese cooking. This delicious product also incorporates real black truffles in its formulation. Place this pate on the board and make sure to get a few bites fast; it won’t last long.
Beverages and boards need each other. Salty ingredients like charcuterie and cheese dominate boards; just a few nibbles, and people begin hunting for something to complement the food. Sparkling wine is always an excellent idea. But some board enthusiasts might skip the boozy drinks. Don’t serve them seltzer and lime. Instead, pick up some of this outstanding French sparkling bubbly, fermented from traditional Champagne grapes (Chardonnay and Pinot Noir). Team French Bloom then removes the alcohol from the bubbly. It’s lovely, it’s fancy, and it’ll make everybody at the party happy.
Peppers and olives, of course, are already vegan—unless they’ve stuffed with feta or prosciutto. But are they often organic, regeneratively farmed, fermented and packed in a mother brine? They are not. That’s where Big Picture Foods comes in. You’ll want olives and other vegetables, like red peppers, on your board. Just as this board skips the meat and animal dairy, and offers booze-free bubbly, it’s time to add a twist to the olives and veggies—in this case, red peppers. Big Picture Foods’ attention to the environment, paired with its spot-on methods for using practices like fermentation to boost flavor, yield especially exceptional products.
This women-owned, Non-GMO, Certified Vegan brand brings to market much more than bags of nuts. These almonds are soaked and sprouted, a process that leads to a hollow core, more crunch and the removal of natural botanical properties that hinder digestion. The result is next-level nuts, salty treats that swan in the spotlight on any board.
Just as this board delivers for people who shun animal products and alcohol, with the addition of these crackers it also pays attention to the many people who shun gluten for different reasons. But Maine Crisp crackers aren’t just gluten-free—the buckwheat (which is not related to wheat) that comprises most of the crackers comes mostly from Maine farmers. As a result, this Maine company sources its main ingredient from its back door. The addition of fig and thyme transform the delicious, crisp cracker into a board headliner.
Most chocolate products contain dairy, and aren’t vegan. But it’s not like vegan chocolate is a rarity—dark chocolate (as opposed to milk chocolate) often does not contain dairy products. But in many cases, dark chocolate and milk are manufactured in the same plants, which complicates the vegan situation. Dr. Bronner’s All-One Chocolate products—the entire line—are Certified Vegan. And the company just debuted a vegan milk chocolate line, using oat milk instead of traditional dairy. Any of Dr. Bronner’s chocolates would complement a board. One strong option: pick up a variety pack. In addition to vegan, these chocolates are Fair Trade, Non-GMO, Organic and gluten-free. And the company is a B Corporation.
Most chocolate products contain dairy, and aren’t vegan. But it’s not like vegan chocolate is a rarity—dark chocolate (as opposed to milk chocolate) often does not contain dairy products. But in many cases, dark chocolate and milk are manufactured in the same plants, which complicates the vegan situation. Dr. Bronner’s All-One Chocolate products—the entire line—are Certified Vegan. And the company just debuted a vegan milk chocolate line, using oat milk instead of traditional dairy. Any of Dr. Bronner’s chocolates would complement a board. One strong option: pick up a variety pack. In addition to vegan, these chocolates are Fair Trade, Non-GMO, Organic and gluten-free. And the company is a B Corporation.
As the days grow shorter, the United States now enters the season of entertaining. Picnics are out, and dinner parties are in. The lead-up to Thanksgiving often sparks gatherings, and between that holiday and New Year’s Day, people wander from event to event, picking up shrimp from passed plates, downing cocktails and mocktails and savoring every bite of that Linzer torte.
And then there’s those made-for-Instagram charcuterie and cheese plates. They sing for omnivores. For vegans? Maybe there’s some nuts scattered on the board, a handful of grapes, a clutch of crackers.
It doesn’t have be so deflating. Thanks to mad innovation within the natural and organic food industry, many brands now craft salami, tuna, chocolate and Gouda—all vegan-style. Rather suddenly, vegans now can thrill to charcuterie and cheese offerings with the same enthusiasm as those who slather real foie gras and Camembert on their baguette slices. And for those who also steer clear of booze, non-alcoholic brands are crushing it today—including those that ferment and bottle sparkling wine.
New Hope Network staff members receive loads of news about fresh finds across the thriving natural and organic products marketplace. And thanks to events like Natural Products Expo and the NEXTY Awards, we also sample a wide array of the culinary pleasures landing on shelves, and that includes many vegan brands.
Get ready to assemble a winning charcuterie and cheese board for your next get together—without the animal products.
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