By Susan MYKRANTZ March is National Snack Month and sometimes “Ants on a Log” just don’t cut it when it comes to a healthy, hearty snack. That is when you need to bring on the big guns in the snack attack war. Charcuterie boards have gained popularity as a must have item on the party circuit. A charcuterie board is an assortment of meats, cheeses, artisan breads, olives, fruit, and nuts, all artfully arranged on a serving board. But with a concern for social distancing, food safety and portion control made party planners look for new ways to share the popular boards. The result was Jarcuteries, the latest and maybe one of the best things to come out of the pandemic as they bring the best of the charcuterie broads to a colorful and tasty mobile treat that appeals to all ages. Unlike the more elaborate Charcuterie boards, Jarcuteries are built in a single serving option of finger foods and can be as fancy as a fluted glass or as simple as a red solo cup or a small glass jar. As the popularity of Jarcuteries has increased, so have the combinations of ingredients that can be put together for the tasty snacks to be enjoyed as guests mingle at an event, provide an after-school snack for hungry kids or something to munch on during an online meeting. While the main ingredients include olives, nuts and seeds, cheese, both hard and soft varieties, cured meats, both fresh and dried fruit, vegetables and legumes, dips, breads and crackers; sweet treats such as cookies, candies and marshmallows can be added for dessert Jarcuteries. Or if you want to make a holiday themed Jarcuterie, simply fill a decorative jar with foil wrapped holiday chocolates and add a marshmallow peep for a unique touch. Some Jarcuterie items such as nuts, dried fruits, or some fruits and vegetables work well as finger foods, but other items such as meats or cheeses, can be stacked on something like a cocktail stick, making a mini kebab. Building a Jarcuterie is a lot like building a flower arrangement. First you need to select an appropriate container. Next you build a base in the bottom of the container to hold the mini kebabs of meats and cheeses. And finally add filler, and highlights. Start building the Jarcuterie with the tall items such as breadsticks or pretzel rods, cucumber spears or any type of hard cheese that can be cut into a long wedge. Next use nuts, dried fruit, or seeds as a base to hold the taller items in place. The nuts and dried fruits are a great way to add color, texture. Next add the mini cheese or meat kebabs. The cheese can be cut in cubes or wedges before putting them on the cocktail sticks. Use different types of cheese and alternate them on the stick to give a variety of color. The meat kebabs can be made by folding sliced meats in a triangle shape or using mini sausages on the cocktail sticks. You can add some color and extra flavor to the kebabs by adding an olive or small pickle at the bottom of the stick to hold everything together. Once you have the foundation built, fill in the container with something like olives, cherry tomatoes, grapes or baby carrots. And finally add a garnish such as a stalk of rosemary or thyme. If you want to build a dessert Jarcuterie, you can use fruits such as strawberries, banana chunks, and pineapple for the kebabs, and fill in the spaces with grapes or blueberries for a colorful healthy Jarcuterie or you can use cookies, candies and marshmallows and top it off with a fancy piece of chocolate to satisfy your sweet tooth. Ants on a Log Ants on a log are a simple snack for children to make with a little help from a grown-up. Cut a stalk of celery into two-inch pieces; fill the dip with peanut butter or another type of nut butter. Top with raisins and sprinkle with chopped nuts. If you like dried cranberries instead, you can swap out the raisins for the cranberries and make Ladybugs on a long instead. Candied Pecans 1 pound pecans 1 egg white 1 tablespoon water ½ cup sugar ¾ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon cinnamon Mix pecans, egg white, and water together. Add sugar, salt and cinnamon. Mix well. Pour into a baking pan and bake for 1 hour at 250 degrees. Stir every 15 minutes. Once finished, pour onto a wax paper and let them dry fully before putting them in an air tight container. Easy Dip 1 cup small curd cottage cheese ¼ cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion or chives 1-2 teaspoons of milk Mix well and serve with vegetables Fresh Fruit Dip 8 ounce carton plain, lowfat yogurt ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce 1 tablespoon powdered sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ginger or nutmeg Stir together yogurt, applesauce, powdered sugar, vanilla and spice. Mix well and serve with fresh fruit. Source: Stirring Up Memories Cookbook |
