This is a sponsored conversation brought to you by Safeway. As always, all opinions are my own.
So this is what California Living means: blue skies, no humidity and lots of places to explore. I do believe our time here may be limited, so while we are here I plan on taking many trips to wine country, exploring San Francisco and hiking as many stunning trails as I can! Last month, Go Fit Jo and I headed to the land of vines to spend the day at J Vineyards. We sampled treats, learned about their old world winemaking process and were inspired by the female entrepreneurship in the male-dominated wine business.
If you do visit J Vineyards, I suggest making reservations for The Bubble Room. The Bubble Room is an elevated wine and food experience that features a five-course pairing inspired by the bounty of Sonoma County fueled by the passionate Executive Chef Carl Shelton and Winemaker Nicole Hitchcock. With the bounty of Sonoma County as his muse, Chef Carl uses ingredients and techniques to create five courses of food and wine pairings to showcase Nicole’s wines. Each menu tells a different story of the relationship between our varietal and sparkling wines and locally sourced ingredients. Guests are treated to a world-class hospitality experience as the expert staff in the J Bubble Room delights and educates with each pairing. In pursuit of the perfect moment, each element of the Bubble Room is flawlessly woven together to tell the story of J.
When the food was presented to us, it looked like a work of art and tasted like bits of heaven. Light and fresh, the experience was delectable and artfully designed without being overdone. Of course, after such a beautiful day, I had to take home some sips for Cory and I to enjoy together. After having our first baby, Cory and I started to enjoy more date nights in and that usually lends itself to a bottle of wine and creating artfully crafted charcuterie board. My mom’s side of the family is Italian and a big antipasto platter (AKA charcuterie) was always a part of every get-together. That was not something Cory experienced growing up in the Midwest. Needless to say, he is mildly obsessed with a good charcuterie board and often makes them for himself or wants to order one for an appetizer while we are out.
With that said, as I am more health conscious these days, I always have some sort of meat and cheese on the board, but I like to think of them as the “opening act” or “seasoning and not necessarily the main show.
On a more whole food focused charcuterie I ALWAYS offer fresh fruit, an assortment of nuts, whole food crackers like these delicious TRISCUITS with super seeds like quinoa and chia or the new WHEATBERRY Clusters. As well as added sugar-free dried fruit, hummus and whole vegetables like roasted peppers, cucumbers, carrots, hummus, olives and artichoke hearts are always welcome.
We all have to live a little so when you provide high-quality meat and cheese like salami and pepperoni from Columbus Craft Meats you will not be disappointed. They offer nitrate free, no MSG or trans fat options and because they are chock full of flavor, a little goes a long way. Charcuterie should be a beautiful experience. With endless options so feel free to change it up all year round.
My biggest charcuterie tip is to think of meat and cheese as more of a garnish and even consider cutting your meat and cheese into smaller portions. When paired with fruits, vegetables and light dips, You still get the flavor and satiety that comes along with it, but you save on calories and added fat. With that said, simply enjoy your charcuterie as a date night in or fill up a bento box and have a picnic. Either way, pair your plate with whole foods, pop some bubbly (maybe even some J Vinyards.