The latest trend charming the food scene offers an edible holiday tradition for those who favor savory treats, all thanks to the magic of charcuterie. Columbus Craft Meats took the charcuterie chalet to the next level with the creation of a whimsical charcuterie winter village. Swap out gingerbread, icing and candy for Columbus® charcuterie, pretzel rods, sturdy crackers, cheese, nuts, fresh veggies and olives.
The Columbus® Craft Meats winter village features four chalets comprised with the following Columbus® products: Hot Coppa, Dry Coppa, Finocchiona Salami, Secchi Salami, Rosette De Lyon Salami, Italian Dry Salami, Chorizo Salame, Prosciutto, and a Columbus® Prosciutto and Genoa Panino Platter.
Craft meat shingles, cracker and pretzel windows, and rosemary swags adorn the chalets. Trees make the perfect companion for the charcuterie chalets and add novelty to the wonderland. A Caprese Christmas tree, made from ciliegine (the most petite size of fresh mozzarella balls), grape tomatoes and fresh basil, and two olive trees, one composed of green olives and another of Kalamata olives, cheese and rosemary, weave throughout the town square. What winter village would be complete without snowmen? This time, in addition to ciliegine, you’ll want bocconcini (slightly larger fresh mozzarella) for the base of the snowmen, which have black peppercorn faces and pickled red pepper hats. A red pepper sled filled with fontina cheese presents and a stack of cornichon firewood offer festive accents. Lastly, broccoli create bushes and a hearty dusting of grated parmesan provides a magical snowfall.
Our Tips Try It At Home
Construct your chalet on a sturdy surface like a board or serving tray. Use cream cheese, mascarpone or herbed cheese spread as “glue” to prepare your chalet to secure charcuterie accoutrements. Customize by your taste and cover your savory snack house with all of your favorite charcuterie board ingredients. Styrofoam cones and toothpicks create solid bases to make the Caprese and olive trees.
If you aren’t feeling ambitious enough to tackle your own charcuterie creation, fear not—there are new packaged kits to eliminate the heavy lifting. A collection of bold, spicy, rustic and sweet pairings of artisan salami, cheese, crackers and more make it easy to explore or entertain with charcuterie. Included in each box is a “how to” guide, which offers practical tips to help recipients assemble a picture-perfect board, right down to making the perfect bite.
With charcuterie guiding the way, and limitless accoutrement from which to build, decorating a cheerful winter village or enjoying a delicious board is well within reach! Design your own to enjoy at home, challenge your friends to a competition or show it off via a virtual party. Whatever you do, admire your joyful creation and share it with us via social media.
