Today on the Somerville Local First blog Joe Ferraro, Gourmet Foods Buyer of Ball Square Fine Wines, tells us how to organize a holiday spread with local and worldly flair. Try not to read this post on an empty stomach and enjoy the delicious gourmet suggestions:
Fall is officially upon us, with all the attendant gatherings and entertaining of the holiday season just around the corner. Putting out a fun and yummy spread for your friends and family can be a daunting task, but Ball Square Fine Wines has got you covered! With just one stop you can pick up a wide assortment of gourmet goodies, craft beer, fine wine and cocktail fixings, and we’re always happy to offer our advice if you need it.
Our gourmet food department is featuring lots of fun accompaniments for the libations of the season. Here are a few ideas:
Raclette ($11.99/lbs) is a classic semi-soft cheese hailing from the Swiss Alps. It has an earthy, nutty flavor balanced by a texture that’s still relatively milky. It’s also the center piece of the dish known as “Le Raclette”. This dish, a family favorite in France and Switzerland on chilly nights as it’s both delicious and simply prepared, is real Alpine comfort food. The cheese is served baked and melted, with charcuterie (cured meats), boiled potatoes, cornichons (baby sour gherkin pickles) and fresh bread. We’ve got all of that, except the potatoes, but fortunately those are easy to come by. Enjoy this dish family style with lots of friends. An Alsatian Pinot Gris, dry Riesling, or medium bodied, earthy Cotes du Rhone are perfect counterparts. Belgian Trappist beers also go great.
Landaff ($19.99/lbs) hails from the small town of the same name in New Hampshire. It’s a hard cheese with a washed rind, sharp and a bit salty, but also very rich. It’s a distant cousin to the Scottish cheese called Caerphilly, made by hand using milk from Landaff Creamery’s own cows. It melts beautifully, and it’s great on what I call an Autumn pizza, with mashed butternut squash instead of tomato sauce, fresh sage and red onion. Try it also on it’s own as a satisfying nosh, paired with a big red wine, luscious white Burgundy, or even, dare I say it, a smoky single malt Scotch.
Cabrales ($23.99/lbs) is an intense and majestic blue cheese from Spain. This giant of a cheese is full of musty, earthy “blue” flavor. With some walnuts and a glass of your favorite Port or sweet oloroso Sherry, it’s downright hedonistic. And really, what is a cold night good for if not to enjoy the big sweet dessert wines that we’ve been missing all Summer.
And don’t forget about chocolate. We now carry a wide array of fine chocolates from local Somerville heroes Taza, as well as many selections from around the world. Who said sweets were just for the kids?
All that is just a tiny teaser of what you’ll find on hand at Ball Square Fine Wines – and yes, we can put a whole bunch of these goodies together in one of our custom made, Gourmet Gift Baskets, just ask! So ignore the diet for once, and come down for some yummy treats. There’s always something delicious on the menu - just don’t tell your doctor.
