A Tropical Grazing Board and Hawaiian Sparkling Wine; Mele Kalikimaka #WorldWineTravel

I am heading to Maui to kick off the New Year.  I am very excited to return this year and so fortunate to have such good friends who welcome us to their home on the Island.   

I decided to see if Hawaii made sparkling wines.  To my delight, they do.  This made my decision on what to share with this month's wine group very easy.

Turkey Trot Sandwich Board #SundayFunday

This fun sandwich board is sure to please your guests at your next gathering.  Perfect for watching the game.

The Sunday Funday Bloggers are sharing Charcuterie today......

An Edible Cheeseboard and a Crisp Rosé from Languedoc #Winophiles

Looking for a fun way to start off your next party?  Whether around the pool, campfire or tv watching the game, this edible cheeseboard is going to be well received and the talk of the party.

I made this cheeseboard on the grill because we were poolside and it was too hot to turn on the oven but as fall approaches I have visions of making it again to serve inside.

Antipasto Platter #BrunchWeek

I think nearly every culture has a tradition of serving platters of finger foods.  In France this is called Charcuterie.  The Middle Eastern countries call this Meze or Mezze.  Spain calls them Fuente de Entrantes. Russia calls them Zakuski.  Here in the USA we call them Deli Trays and in Italy they are called Antipasto or Antipasti.

All of these contain certain elements.  They all have meats, cheeses and pickled items.  They are meant to be served as first courses but here in the USA we often serve them as light lunches or dinners at cocktail parties.

Today is the last day that I am celebrating Brunch Week.  It has been a great party so far.  There have been tons of recipes and an awesome giveaway from our sponsors.  You can learn all about our sponsors and the items being raffled off to our winners in my Welcome Post.

This awesome event is hosted each year by Terri of Love and Confections.  This year, Christie of A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures is lending a hand.  Terri arranged for the sponsors to send each of the bloggers product.  I am showcasing Cento, Cabot Creamery and Michigan Asparagus today.  I received no monetary compensation for this post.  All opinions are strictly my own.

Included on my Antipasto Platter are the Pickled Asparagus that I shared with you on Wednesday.  You will also find some marinated Artichoke Hearts and marinated Roasted Red Peppers that I was sent by Cento and slices of Horseradish Cheddar and Alpine Cheddar from Cabot Creamery.

You will find links to all the other great Brunch recipes at the bottom of this post.  Thank you for joining me this week.  I hope you enjoyed it.  Good luck with the giveaway!!

Author: Wendy KlikPin it

Antipasto Platter

A beautifully arranged platter of cured meats, pickled vegetables and assorted cheeses sure to be a hit at any gathering.

ingredients:

Assorted cured Italian Meats (Proscuitto, salami, soprasetta, etc)

Assorted cheeses (Mozzarella, Parmesan, Provolone, etc.)

Red leaf lettuce

Tomato Slices

Assorted marinated veggies, olives, pickles and salads (artichoke hearts, roasted peppers,  pepperoncini, etc)

Bread and/or Crackers

Asst. Mustards or Spreads (honey mustard, hot mustard, stone ground mustard, etc)

Fresh Fruit (strawberries, blackberries, apple slices, etc)

instructions:

Arrange all ingredients onto a decorative platter so that it is pleasing to the eye and palate.

notes

Feel free to use any assortment of meats, cheese, veggies and fruit that you like.  
You want the platter to be full and abundant.

https://adayinthelifeonthefarm.blogspot.com/2018/05/antipasto-platter-brunchweek.html

Property of A Day in the Life on the Farm

Created using The Recipes Generator

Take a look at what the #BrunchWeek Bloggers are creating today!

BrunchWeek Beverages:
Voodoo Bloody Mary from Girl Carnivore

BrunchWeek Appetizers:
Antipasto Platter from A Day in the Life on the Farm
Brunch Gazpacho Shooters with Cheesy Everything Toast Dippers from The Crumby Kitchen
How to Create an Antipasto Platter from Love and Confections
Kale Salad with Apples, Carrots, Cheese and Capers from Shockingly Delicious
Spring Cobb Salad from The Barbee Housewife

BrunchWeek Egg Dishes:
Asparagus, Mushroom and Cheese Egg Cups from The Bitter Side of Sweet
Asparagus, Sausage, and Onion Quiche from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
Breakfast Stuffed Avocados from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
Cheesy Ham and Asparagus Frittata from Cooking with Carlee
Ham & Cheese Hashbrown Frittata from It Bakes Me Happy

BrunchWeek Breads, Grains, and Pastries:
Banana Blueberry Cinnamon Mini Muffins from Sweet Beginnings
Cheddar Sun-Dried Tomato Biscuits from Tara's Multicultural Table
Coconut Doughnuts from Mildly Meandering
Grand Marnier French Toast from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Sausage, Egg & Cheese Kolaches from The Spiffy Cookie
Shortcut Blueberry Cheesecake Cinnamon Rolls from Big Bear's Wife

BrunchWeek Main Dishes:
Salmon Quiche from My Catholic Kitchen
Keto Steak and Eggs over Asparagus from Kudos Kitchen by Renee
Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Chicken Sandwiches from Books n' Cooks

BrunchWeek Fruits, Vegetables and Sides:
Asparagus and Goat Cheese Tart from Karen's Kitchen Stories
Breakfast Salad from Caroline's Cooking
Green Apple Smoothie from The PinterTest Kitchen
Asparagus-Leek Velouté from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Roasted Asparagus & Carrots from Amy's Cooking Adventures
Sweet Potato Hash with Pancetta, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Spinach from The Redhead Baker

BrunchWeek Desserts:
Hazelnut Pudding Cake from Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
Pull Apart Cinnamon Coffeecake with Chocolate Glaze from Family Around the Table
Pumpkin Snack Cake from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
Raspberry Lime Parfaits from Eat Move Make

Disclaimer: Thank you to #BrunchWeek Sponsors: Dixie Crystals, Cabot Cheese, LorAnn Oils and Flavors, Cento Fine Foods, Michigan Asparagus, Cal-Organic and Eggland’s Best for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for #BrunchWeek recipes. All opinions are my own. The #BrunchWeek giveaway is open to U.S. residents, age 18 & up. All entries for the winner will be checked and verified. By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Seven (7) winners will be selected. The prize packages will be sent directly from the giveaway sponsors. The #BrunchWeek Bloggers are not responsible for the fulfillment or delivery of the prize packages. Bloggers hosting this giveaway and their immediate family members in their household cannot enter or win the giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or any other social channel mentioned in the #Brunchweek posts or entry.

Countdown to 2018: Best Appetizer and Snacks

Sarah of Fantastical Sharing of Recipes, invites us each year to join her in sharing our favorite posts from the past year.  Each day we will be sharing our favorite recipes in each of seven categories.  

It is a fun way to look back at the past year.  We revisit and see what was successful and not so great.  We get an idea of what changes and goals we want to set for the New Year.  Most importantly we get to see what you, our readers, enjoyed the most of our posts from the previous year.

We are starting with Snacks and Appetizers.........

Baked Brie with Honeyed Apples

Italian Nachos

Chilled Avocado Chillers

Pork Dumplings

Charcuterie Board

Salmon Tartare

These were my personal favorites from last year.  I enjoyed serving them and I enjoyed eating them.  They are easy and impressive.  

Here are my friend's favorite Appetizers and Snacks from last year.

:

An InLinkz Link-up

One of these days........#Winophiles

Our French Winophiles group this month asked us to share a memory of a vacation in France or a dream of where we would like to visit in France if given the opportunity, and share a wine from that memory or dream.

Now, I haven't had an opportunity to visit Europe but it is definitely on my bucket list and when I do I will absolutely be hitting some wine regions in France.

When our son from Denmark, Dian, came to visit this summer he brought his girlfriend, Helena, and their son, Joyful Jordan, with him.  While we were flying to Frankenmuth to spend the day, Dian proposed to Helena.  I shared that exciting moment with you in this post.

They intend to wait until Dian is finished with University before the wedding.  Helena mentioned that she and her father have often talked of renting a castle in Nice and that perhaps they would use that idea as a venue for the wedding. 

We, of course, would love to attend the wedding and will start saving our pennies so that when the time comes we are in a position to do so.  Should the wedding take place in Nice that would be excellent but if not we still plan on spending a few weeks in Europe, visiting not only Dian and his sister, Zoey, who also became our daughter during her stay as an exchange student but also our German son, Max, and his family.

And Provence, where Nice is located is definitely on the list of places we will be visiting.  I imagine we will make a stop in Paris.  I mean you have to see the Eiffel Tower (I guess) but that doesn't hold the appeal to my as Provence does.  Give me rolling countryside over busy city streets any day of the week.

Provence is known for it's rosé wines.  I have been having kind of a love affair with rosés from France since I discovered them in this group. I never dreamed I would like them since my experience with blush wines prior to meeting the French rosés consisted of cloyingly sweet white zin's.

I spoke last month about Whispering Angel that I truly enjoyed.  I also shared a Domaine Houchart that I served during a seafood boil.  This bottle from La Sangliere was a great hit with a light lunch of a mushroom omelet.  I took a step of faith and tried a sparkling rosé, Delighted, from a Michigan winery, Black Star Farms, and was pleased with the results.

So I was excited to pick up a bottle of Domaine Fourquette when I was at the market a couple of weeks ago.  

I find that rosés pair exceptionally well with charcuterie boards.  I also love the presentation of a charcuterie and love serving them up at cocktail parties.

When creating a charcuterie board I try to offer several options of each component.  

• Cheeses; some hard, some soft and a blue.  On this board you find a pepper jack, colby jack, cheddar, a honeyed goat cheese, a blueberry wrapped goat cheese and a roquefort.
• Meats; salami's, prosciutto, perhaps a paté or smoked sausage. On this board I had hard salami, prosciutto, capocollo and soprasetta.
• Garnishes; I always offer olives and another pickle of some sort, in this case pickled beets, but any pickled vegetable will work. Pickled asparagus is a favorite of mine. I also like to offer a mustard of some sort and a jam of some sort.  I like picking up small jars of specialty mustard and jam or marmalade to have on hand for just this purpose. If you see an onion marmalade it is perfect on these boards.
• Then you need a way to convey all that yumminess to your tummy so make sure you have a nice assortment of bread, crackers and/or breadsticks on the board as well.

Once you know what you want to serve it is just a matter of arranging it so that it is appealing to the eye because we all know that we eat with our eyes first.

Back to my wine choice......of all the rosé wines I have tried, this was my least favorite.  I find that most rosé is very nice to sip with a variety of foods but also as pleasant to sip on it's own without any food accompaniment.

I did not find that to be true of this wine which was very acidic to the point of sour.  I awoke in the middle of the night with heartburn after drinking 2 small glasses of this wine. I won't be purchasing it in the future.

I want to thank Lauren of The Swirling Dervish for hosting this month and Lori of and Jill of  L'Occasion for changing the theme allowing those of us not yet lucky enough to visit France to participate today.

Let's take a look at the others Memories/Dreams

• Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm promises One of These Days . . . . 
• Martin from Enofylz Wine Blog shares Champagne Chronicles Redux; A Week In Champagne, A Lifetime Of Memories. 
• Jeff from Food Wine Click will talk about one of his favorite French Wine Visits - Our Friend, Raymond Boillot. 
• Jill from L’occasion tells the tale of A Château in Provence. 
• Lauren from The Swirling Dervish, is asking Do You Know the Way to Vézelay?