For a very long time, charcuterie and cheese boards have been all the craze at events. Whereas cheese boards are self-explanatory (and plant-based eaters could make one with relative ease, too — simply cube up a few your favourite vegan cheeses with some crackers, and organize them artfully on a serving platter), charcuterie boards are primarily the identical idea, solely they’re comprised of an array of cured meats.
For the plant-based occasion host, each of the 2 above choices are potential to make vegan, however they nearly come off as — dare we are saying — fundamental. Seeking to jazz up your internet hosting expertise and supply a dynamic, and attention-grabbing new platter? We propose you attempt a pickle board.
In case your thoughts simply went straight to speared dill slices on a tray, don’t fear — we’ve got one thing a little bit extra refined and satisfying in thoughts. Permit us that can assist you assemble the proper pickle board to your subsequent occasion.
Fluctuate Your Taste
Candy, bitter, spicy, tangy, and salty — pickles are available in all kinds of taste varieties, and to maintain your pickle board attention-grabbing, attempt to be sure to hit the entire above marks.
Commonplace
First, you’re going to need your commonplace pickle to anchor your board. Go forward — use a trusty cucumber for this one. You possibly can serve these Fast Bread and Butter Pickles or these Tremendous-Simple Fridge Dill Pickles.
Spicy
Subsequent, attempt to hit that spicy kick. These Indian Radish Pickles use crimson chili spice to carry the warmth, whereas Home made Pickled Jalapeños are a dependable option to amp up any recipe. And don’t overlook these fairly Spicy Pickled Radishes! Their intense taste will stand out in any dish and after you attempt home made, no store-bought pickle will be capable to evaluate.
You possibly can additionally all the time flip to kimchi for spice. Right here’s our information on The best way to Make Your Personal Kimchi.
Candy
The Icelandic Pickled Beets, pictured above, have a candy and daring beet taste, solely barely modified by a handful of pickling spices. These Pickled Crimson Onions have the power to immediately remodel a variety of dishes. Throw them into creamy potato salads, tacos, or veggie burgers for a tangy burst of taste. Additionally they make a wonderfully candy companion for avocados.
Fluctuate Your Veggies
Cucumbers aren’t the one greens that remodel into pickles after bathing in brine (take a look at this function on Meals You Can Pickle and How – It’s Simple!).
Root greens, comparable to sunchokes, beets, radishes, candy potatoes, and parsnips are all attention-grabbing fall and winter veggies to attempt pickling. Take a look at this recipe for Achaari Aloo Gobi: Indian Pickled Potato and Cauliflower to see find out how to use one thing like a pickled potato in a savory, satisfying weekend meal.
In the event you’re fascinated by making an attempt one thing new, experiment with pickling fruit and fruit rind, like orange peel, lemon peel, mangoes, or watermelon rind (sure, actually). Pears and peaches are additionally glorious fruits to pickle, and Japan eats pickled plums (umeboshi) on the common! The recipe for Toasted Quinoa Delicata Squash Bowls With Pickled Apples and Almond Butter Sauce, pictured above, even requires pickled apples.
String beans, okra, tomatoes, carrots, and extra may be complimentary additions to your pickle platter.
Accompaniments
Simply as a cheese board isn’t solely made with cheese, consider the completely different bite-sized accompaniments you may serve together with your pickles. Right here’s the rule of thumb: they shouldn’t overpower the pickles themselves.
We expect Simple Pumpkin Spice Roasted Nuts might present a pleasant added crunch and sweet-warm essence; plus, we expect it’s attention-grabbing to pair sticky and candy with savory and crisp. In the event you’re not feeling the pumpkin spice vibes, these Oven Roasted Chickpeas are the proper snack to have readily available.
Any creamy vegan cheese, like this recipe for Uncooked Nut-Free Sesame Cheese or Sliceable Cashew Cheese would offer a cooling and welcome distinction to the acidic pickles.
Reimagine the Pickle
You possibly can additionally select to essentially commit whole-heartedly to the pickle theme, and use pickles in condiments, spreads, dips, and extra. This recipe for Millet Croquettes With a Pickled Plum Dressing makes use of pickles plums as a sauce, these Dill Pickle French Fries completely flip the thought of a pickle on its head, and this tremendous creamy Jalapeño Pickle Dip is easy, reasonably priced, has a number of textures, crisp dill taste, and naturally that added bit of warmth with the jalapeños!
For extra inspiration, take a look at this function on Preserving The Season: What Meals You Ought to Pickle and The best way to Do It by downloading the Meals Monster App, which is accessible for each Android and iPhone, and can be discovered on Instagram and Fb. The app has greater than 10,000 plant-based, allergy-friendly recipes, and subscribers achieve entry to 10 new recipes per day. Test it out!