To me, the relish tray is as synonymous with Thanksgiving as turkey and cranberry sauce, and as necessary to Thanksgiving Day as watching the Macy’s Parade.
It. Is. A. Non. Negotiable!
Like a mini-feast before the big feast!
Pickled carrots with thyme and allspice, rosemary red onions, and spicy serrano cucumbers
A non-negotiable to the relish tray itself is a variety of pickled foods, so this year I’ve decided to customize my pickles by making them myself! Refrigerator pickles, aka quick pickles, are super easy to make and sooo much more flavorful than their store-bought brethren. Make your own with this simple technique!
Other pieces of the relish tray puzzle traditionally include crudité (aka raw veggies), olives, and maybe a dip. I think the most important part of curating your own relish tray is balancing flavors- creamy, crunchy, vinegary, salty, sweet, light, rich. On this tray I opted for creamy camembert cheese, orange marmalade, mandarins, grapes, sopressata, and sweet and spicy almonds. Jammy boiled eggs are a nice protein element to satisfy hunger while the house is filled with all those amazing cooking smells!
I know some of these elements aren’t traditional for a relish tray, but hey! What can I say? I like meat and cheese. Speaking of meat and cheese, homemade baguette crisps are perfect for stacking charcuterie.
It’s all so exciting!! What will you include on your relish tray this year? Let me know in the comments below!
