Charcuterie with Barbara’s Grape Jelly, Rosemary Semolina Crackers & Simple Crostinis

Charcuterie with Barbara’s Grape Jelly, Rosemary Semolina Crackers & Simple Crostinis

Chef: Caston Richards

*While we recommend the 2011 Cab, the beauty of a charcuterie board is that it can be tailored to just about any wine. Check out our blog post on pairing food and wine for ideas!

1 serving, 15-20 min prep time, and 15-20 min cook time

Charcuterie Ingredients

3 oz of protein per person

3 oz of cheese per person

Assorted fixings of your choosing (less of each, but more variety)

Notes: Charcuterie is this fantastic blend of flavors, smells, and textures. It’s fun, playful, and intimate, and therefore should be treated as such when selecting your ingredients. Here are some guidelines for creating a complete charcuterie board.  Each is accompanied by examples, but there are many more to choose from. We highly encourage experimentation. And getting it wrong is half the fun, so don’t be afraid to try some weird, random things!

Each heading below is an accompaniment criterion to think about. You’ll see that some examples overlap and can check different boxes!

Sweet: honey, chocolate, dried fruits, fresh fruits, fresh veggies, jellies, jams, chutneys, compotes, preserves

Salty: crackers, crostinis, preserves (olives, salted fish, veggies, etc.), nuts, spreads & dips

Sour: pickled veggies (aka preserves: cornichons are classic, but anything pickled is great!), grainy mustard, balsamic glaze

Bitter: certain greens, some dried fruits, citrus peels (these can be fantastic when preserved), dark chocolate or cocoa, coffee

Umami (“savory”): salted fish, aged cheese, roasted mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, seaweed or kelp, fermented foods like kimchi

Spice and/or spices: chutneys, spiced nuts, mustards, preserves, dried fruits and veggies, kimchi, hot sauces, hot peppers

Cheeses: creamy, hard or firm, tangy, salty, funky, spicy, strong, mild

Meats:  salty, spicy, strong, mild, rich, fatty, sliced, forced or spreadable (pâté, rillette), dried (sausages, jerky), cooked (devilled eggs, smoked meats & fish)

Vessels: crackers, crostinis, fresh bread (don’t underestimate the importance of the vessel!)

Palette cleansers: fresh veggies, pickled veggies, simple breads, nuts, crackers

Spreads & Dips: tapenade, pesto, bean dip, hummus, baba ghanoush, herb oils, jams, chutneys, compotes

Color: Don’t forget, we eat with our eyes first.

Directions

Set up your board with a bit of intention. One way to organize it might be to try to keep items from the above groups together. Don’t overthink it though, just have fun with it. Variety is what you’re going for!

Barbara’s Grape Jelly

approx. 8 servings

Ingredients

2 lbs of Concord grapes or any purple grape varietal

1.5 cups white sugar

25g no-sugar pectin

Notes: Barbara’s classic recipe is best strained overnight to get all the delicious grape juice. Before getting rid of the strained grapes, give them one last squeeze or press to get all that goodness out. After the cooking of the grapes, I yielded 3 cups of grape juice. I added 1-1/4 cups of sugar to the juice and began to reduce it by about 1/3, to get to 2.5 cups of grape “syrup”. I found that this quantity of pectin set to a nice consistency in 2.5 cups of grape juice. If needed the jelly can be frozen in a freezer-safe jar. Be sure to leave a ½” of headspace to allow for expansion.

Directions

1. Wash the grapes and pat dry with a paper towel.
2. Crush grapes in a medium-sized mixing bowl using a potato crusher or any available tool.
3. Add the crushed grapes to a large non-reactive pot and add enough water to barely cover. Bring the grapes to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently, and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Pour the mixture into a colander lined with cheesecloth (or a fine strainer) over a large bowl. For best results, let the mixture strain overnight.
5. In a small bowl, mix together the add the pectin and 1/4 cup of sugar. Set aside.
6. Place a metal teaspoon in a glass of ice water and set aside.
7. Pour the strained grape juice into a large pot with the remaining 1-1/4 cups of sugar and bring to a boil to create a syrup. Once the sugar is fully dissolved add the pectin/sugar mixture.
8. Over medium-high heat, allow the mixture to boil for 1 min, then test the thickness using the cold spoon. Fill the teaspoon half full and set it on a plate. Once it cools to room temperature, turn the spoon sideways. You are looking for a Jello-like consistency. Continue the boiling process and retest until the desired consistency is achieved.
9. When the gel has thickened to the desired consistency, you can begin to fill sterilized jars, leaving ¼” head space. This recipe will keep in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Rosemary Semolina Sheet Crackers

approx. 8 servings

Ingredients

1 cup/170 grams all-purpose unbleached flour, plus more for dusting

1 cup/170 grams semolina flour

3/4 cup/180 ml warm water

1/2 Tbsp rosemary, chopped

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

3/4 tsp fleur de sel or other coarse finishing salt

Notes: These can be made a couple of days in advance. If you are in a more humid climate, be sure to seal them as tightly as possible so they remain nice and crisp.

Directions

1. Combine the all-purpose flour, semolina flour, water, kosher salt, rosemary, and olive oil in the bowl of an electric mixer. Using the dough hook attachment, slowly begin mixing. Once the ingredients are combined, turn the mixer up to medium speed for about 2 minutes until the dough is smooth and springy. Alternatively, mix and knead the dough for 6 minutes by hand.
   1. Note: Different climates affect doughs in different ways, so adjust as needed. Add a bit of all-purpose flour if the dough is too sticky to handle or a bit of water if the dough is not coming together.
2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
3. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
4. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Divide the dough into 6 equal-size balls.

Option 1: Work the dough with a rolling pin.

a. Prepare the dough by picking up a ball in both hands and pulling on either end of the dough, stretching and wiggling it until it is about 5 inches long.

b. Allow the dough to rest briefly (5 min) while stretching the other dough balls, then roll out each stretched piece of dough as thinly as possible (about 1/16 inch thick) with a rolling pin, lifting the dough frequently, rotating it to make sure it isn’t sticking, and adding a little flour when necessary.

Option 2: Use a pasta maker if you have one.

a. Dust one ball of dough with all-purpose flour and flatten it into a disk about 1/2 inch thick. Run the dough through the pasta maker on the widest setting (“1” on most models). Dust the dough lightly with flour again, fold it in half, and feed it through the rollers again; this will help smooth the dough.

b. Adjust the pasta machine to the next setting (slightly thinner than the first). Fold the dough into thirds (as you would a letter) and feed the dough through the rollers with the open-end leading; this will help make the finished cracker ends cleaner.

c. Continue to feed the dough through the machine once on each setting, adjusting the roller to the next-thinner setting each time until the dough is about 1/16 inch (typically the #5 setting).

d. You will have a long, thin sheet of dough about 2 ft long. Cut the dough crosswise into two equal lengths and transfer them to one of the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with another ball of dough and the second baking sheet.

      5. Sprinkle the crackers with the fleur de sel and use a flat-bottomed measuring cup to lightly tamp down into the cracker dough. Bake the crackers for 6 minutes, rotate the trays, and cook for an additional 5 minutes until they are golden brown and crisp. Watch carefully as they go from pale to burnt in seconds. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Simple Crostinis

approx. 8 servings

Ingredients

Good quality Baguette, plain or flavored

Good quality olive oil

Good quality salt

Fresh herbs, fine dice (optional)

Notes: The key to these is the bake time. Make sure your oven is hot and that you pay close attention to the crostinis so you do not overbake them.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
2. Slice the baguette into ¼” slices. You can slice it perpendicular for small pieces or at an angle for larger pieces.
3. Spread slices on as many baking sheets as needed so that they are all in direct contact with the cooking sheet. Keeping them tight to each other makes the next steps easier, just ensure there is no overlap.
4. Lightly drizzle the slices with olive oil. Be sure to get a drizzle on all of the slices to ensure your seasoning has something to stick to, but be careful not to overdo it. Too much oil will make the crostinis greasy.
5. Season with salt and any finely diced herbs (optional).
6. Bake for 3-5 min (could be longer depending on your oven), checking frequently. Touch the crostinis to test for doneness. You are looking for a very light-toasted feel—no color! Careful, your oven may have hot spots, so you may need to turn or rotate your sheets each time you check them.