These savory snacks make a great start to holiday meals. Their rich, earthy flavors are an ideal match for the Cabernet Franc I received from Cultivar Wine.
The idea of snacks for Thanksgiving day seems a little absurd. It’s not like we really need to include more food in the celebration. And having snacks around certainly isn’t because we need to satisfy hunger. If you are like me, hungry won’t even be a part of your vocabulary for at least 36 hours.
Yet there is something about little bites to kick off the celebration that feels like a necessity. All that cooking makes you want to eat. Why not take things over the top? It is Thanksgiving after all.
I’m also a sucker for a pretty snack spread, or at least the challenge to come up with one. Not to mention, I had painted some pumpkins white and I hadn’t used them yet. They really needed a place at the table and a spot in a photo!
My priority was to create a few things that would pair well with the 2013 Cultivar Oak Knoll Cabernet Franc that I received from Cultivar Wine last month. I’m completely inexperienced with this varietal, but it was love at first sip.
It’s deep cherry and plum flavor has a hint of warm Asian spices. To me, these flavors were earthy, calling for something fragrant and savory. Gravies, mushrooms, woody herbs and smoked meats immediately came to mind. Thus began the adventure of assembling a fun snack spread to serve with the wine.
I should also mention that while delicious, these snacks are also extremely simple to prepare. The mushrooms cook quickly on the stove and you simply stir in some stock and rosemary to coat them in a rich, hearty gravy. They make a great bite-size appetizer that could also be turned into a holiday side dish.
Cabernet Franc tends to pair well with roasted and smoky meats so I incorporated some smoked ham into an easy olive spread. It has a sprinkle of smoked paprika to add even more smoky flavor. I used it as a spread for crackers, but it would be equally as good as a filling for mini sandwiches. If you have some leftover, stuff it into an omelet or stir it into scrambled eggs.
Finally, spread it all out on your serving table with toothpicks to make the grabbing easy and some crackers and nuts. If you want to dress it up with more holiday flare, I highly recommend making a few sugared cranberries.
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup minced onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 oz. small crimini or white button mushrooms
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose unbleached flour
- 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
- 1/4 teaspoon fine ground sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high in a deep skillet. Stir in the onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 more minutes, until they darken and soften. Stir in the rosemary.
- Push the mushrooms to one side of the pan. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the skillet. Lower the heat to medium-low. Sprinkle the flour over the bottom of skillet and whisk for about 45 seconds to create a paste.
- Slowly pour in the stock and whisk until smooth. Increase the heat slightly so the gravy begins to simmer. Stir the mushrooms into the gravy and continue to cook a minute or two, until the gravy thickens and coats the mushrooms.
- Stir in the salt and pepper and serve warm.
- 6 oz. can green pitted olives, drained
- 6 oz. can black pitted olives, drained
- 4 oz. smoked ham, chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
- Place all ingredients in a large food processor or high-power blender. Pulse in 10 to 15 second intervals until all ingredients are finely chopped. Scrape down the sides of the bowl between pulses as needed.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and serve at room temperature or cold.
If you’d like to try Cultivar Wine for your holiday parties, they are offering a special promotion to my readers. Use the code CultivarWineFakeFoodFree when you order and you’ll receive 10 percent off.
Disclosure: I’m required to disclose a sponsored partnership between our site, Fake Food Free, and Cultivar Wine. I have been compensated in exchange for this post in the form of product. All opinions presented are my own. I receive wine from Cultivar Wine as a member of the Cultivar Wine Bloggers group.
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Lori, this is stunning! I happen to love mushrooms–especially when they are prepared this way! And of course, olive spread is a fantastic snack to keep everyone happy while they are waiting for those last minute Thanksgiving preparations!
Thanks so much, Tracey! We are mushroom fans, too.