One of the perks of living in the city is being walking distance from major event venues, which has been so nice to return to with everything reopening again this year.
In our neighbourhood, The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair was happening this season, and we decided to check it out.
This year’s fair was the first return since the pandemic, and how timely that was: 2022 marked the 100th anniversary of this homey and historic fair.
Hours were spent leisurely walking through the animal shows, petting adorable sheep and guinea pigs, checking out the famous butter carving competition and learning about the future of food.
In the main hall, we sampled an array of delicious goods and products from our province’s farmers.
That inspired to pick up speciality ingredients from the fair, and whip up a charcuterie board for dinner when we returned home.
Our haul:
- Artisan cheeses from Stonetown Cheese and Mountainoak Cheese
- Premium cured meats from Albion Hills Farms
- Bison jerky and butter tarts from Sault Ste Marie (my husband’s family’s hometown).
- Maple butter from Mountain Maple Products
When it comes to a cozy homemade charcuterie spread, I’m a firm believer that simplicity is best, and that the quality of the ingredients always trumps the quantity.
I appreciate the beautiful handicraft and creativity it takes to build an elaborate charcuterie board that we see on TikTok and Instagram, but that’s not a prerequisite, and it’s not always accessible.
For me, portioning pre-sliced artisan cheeses and aromatic cured meats that just melt in your mouth, elevates the charcuterie experience while keeping it achievable.
We paired our charcuterie with:
- Fresh baguette from COBS Bread
- Fanned out slices of a fresh Honeycrisp apple
- Added a dollop of spiced jams and pickled cornichons we had in our fridge
- Sprinkled some walnuts and dried cranberries from our pantry
It’s been a while since we created a spread like this, and what a treat it was to enjoy with some wine and a velvety blanket for a cozy Saturday night in.
My blog has seen many of our previous charcuterie ideas, like this summer spread or this Christmas spread.
It was nice to return to one of our favourite meal experiences.
What are some of your favourite cozy meal experiences you haven’t made in a while, but want to return to this season?
xo 💛
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