Rachael K. Jones

Okay Shop, hit me with all your best opinions about charcuterie, cheese plates, and low-prep nibbles! I'm dealing with the impending Baking Holiday by giving myself the gift of all-charcuterie dinners until Thursday so I can feel fancy with zero effort, and also stay on top of my #nanowrimo goals 💪

(Shoutout to local pal Harmony for the idea!)

Nov 19, 2022 at 8:55pmWeb
Show threadRachael K. JonesNov 19, 2022
I have no problem buying tons of cheese, but I have to make fiber happen, and I'd love some ideas beyond carrots
Show threadAyshaNov 19, 2022
@RachaelKJones Steel-cut oats is one of our go to grains. Also adding barley to soups.
Show threadAyshaNov 19, 2022
@RachaelKJones I answered your second post, oops!
Show threadAyshaNov 19, 2022
@RachaelKJones Whole wheat crackers or breads. Dried dates and figs. Avocados.
Show threadCavyherdNov 19, 2022
@RachaelKJones This is what beans & rice are for?
Show threadParo GideNov 19, 2022
@RachaelKJones metamucil works wonders
Show threadHeather Rose JonesNov 19, 2022
@RachaelKJones I hit on a delightful not-a-cracker hack for a recent party: get daikon with a diamerter of about 2 inches, peel, and slice into rounds of about 3mm or so (sorry for mixing measurement systems!). Crisp, mostly bland but with a little tang, and a perfect substrate for cheese, charcuterie, dips, and the like.
Show threadRachael K. JonesNov 19, 2022
@heatherrosejones oh, that is brilliant! And I love daikon!
Show threadHeather Rose JonesNov 19, 2022
@RachaelKJones If you have a mandolin type implement to do the slicing, it’s also relatively little work.
Show threadOldBrushNewPaperNov 19, 2022

@RachaelKJones If you do meat, cold cuts come in many nice varieties (I'm hoping you have either a well-stocked grocery deli, or just a good delicatessen close by).

Canned artichoke hearts can be a treat. Beet slices from a jar. Lots of different sorts of "crackers", savory biscuits, and the like. Oooh, I see the next item you'd posted on fiber: oat cakes!!

Show threadAmy GriswoldNov 19, 2022
@OldBrushNewPaper @RachaelKJones I'll add roasted red peppers (can find jarred, or maybe wherever you're buying the cheese), jarred giardinera, sun-dried tomatoes in oil. Olive or artichoke tapenade is nice on crackers.
Show threadJanelle ShaneNov 19, 2022
@RachaelKJones If you have a trader joe near you, I'd recommend browsing their frozen appetizer section! If you feel like a hot meal they are fancy an zero prep. Their cream cheese and caramelized onion puffs are great, as are their pork & ginger soup dumplings
Show threadLaurence Raphael BrothersNov 19, 2022

@RachaelKJones

1. Reggiano is the king of cheese.

2. Gruyere is the crown prince.

3. Dubliner brand is the best cheap supermarket cheese.

4. Something soft? I guess so, but nothing too smelly. Brie is ok.

5. Young gouda is better than old.

5. Put something sweet on the board, jelly, honey, whatever.

4. "Melba snack" type crackers are the best supermarket crackers for cheese. Not melba toast, though.

5. Underwood chicken spread makes for a good, cheap, halfassed pate.

Show threadLaurence Raphael BrothersNov 19, 2022
@RachaelKJones I'm a big fan of this approach to the low-effort fancy-feeling meal, incidentally....
Show threadLaurence Raphael BrothersNov 19, 2022
@RachaelKJones Also, I don't know how to count.
Show threadRachael K. JonesNov 19, 2022
@laurence I am SALIVATING Laurence!!!
Show threadLaurence Raphael BrothersNov 19, 2022
@RachaelKJones I was going to boil up some gnocchi but now I think I will have dubliner and melba snacks and underwoods instead 😋
Show threadAdara AstinNov 19, 2022

@RachaelKJones Dolmas / dolmades are a great option. Buy them pre-made, open a can, and presto you have a bit more variety to your nibbles.

I'm likewise a fan of less commonly pickled vegetables: carrots, asparagus, okra. Artichoke hearts and artichokes are also classics for a reason.

Show threadTransient. Dim. Moist.Nov 19, 2022
@RachaelKJones Back in my gluten-amenable days, if we were feeling wrecked we'd just buy a baguette and a brie, and it was great. Maybe some slices of apple or tomato if we wanted to get fancy about it.
Show threadFelicity ShouldersNov 19, 2022

@RachaelKJones

Ooh! Just saw this :)

One of my friends brought quince preserves and manchego and v. thin crispy crackers to gaming once and I nearly died. So…fancy and/or exploratory preserves? And other pairings like quince/manchego must exist! I wonder what fig paste pairs with? Lots of fiber in fig paste.

Do you like hummus?

Apple slices with brie and some other cheeses! Also even cheap brie tastes fabulous baked :)