Holiday Gift Guide 2017
Our style columnist shops local. These are a few of her favorite things.
Artisanal cheeses at Arrowine (Facebook photo)
A friend who is a professional caterer once showed me how to assemble a stunning and fail-safe appetizer spread. Start with at least three kinds of cheeses (the experts at Arrowine or Cheesetique can point you in the right direction) flanked by artful piles of charcuterie. Scatter tiny bowls of fig jam, smoked almonds, and bright green Castelvetrano olives drizzled with lemon-infused olive oil from The Cookery. Then add a few clusters of grapes, two kinds of crackers, and a fan of endive leaves for gluten-free guests, and tuck in some rosemary sprigs for garnish. A rustic, oversize serving board—I found a reclaimed wood one at The Urban Farmhouse in Bluemont—offers enough surface area to accomplish all of this in one elegant tableau.
