Fall Appetizers Board

Boring Boards?

Are you bored with your current appetizer board? Why not try dressing up your board with this delicious Caramalized Shallot Jam Dip with Jalapeño or Sweet and Spicy Party Nut Mix?

After taking a recent trip to Point Reyes National Seashore in Northern California, I was inspired to create this appetizer board using early Fall colors of brown, yellow, and orange. I used this lovely cedar board that I bought at the Marin French Cheese Co. in Petaluma to create this simple palette of fruit, cheese, dip, and nuts.

For my appetizer board, I tried to follow some basic design principles of using contrast in colors and textures with my ingredients, grouping food types together in small bunches, and placing my featured dishes (such as my dip and party nuts) in small bowls separated from the other components. Special thanks to Shelly Westerhausen Worcel for these ideas in her book Tables and Spreads.

Caramelized Shallot Jam Dip with Jalapeño

Most dips use either cream cheese, mayonnaise, or Greek Yogurt as a base. This recipe uses all three, however the star of the show is the addition of the Caramalized Shallot Jam swirled into the mixture. For the jam, chopped shallots or onions are caramelized using brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, and red wine vinegar – add a few chopped jalapeño peppers (like I did) to add some zing to the flavor!

Sweet and Spicy Party Nuts

I love nuts, but this recipe takes my love affair with them to the next level. You can use any combination of nuts – I used unsalted cashews, walnuts, almonds, and pecans. The nuts are first sprinkled with a little cayenne and cumin to add a bit of spiciness. Then a syrup of sugar, water, and butter is folded into the nuts, then baked in the oven. Try eating just one!

The sky is the limit as far as the kinds of appetizer boards and tables you can create: how about a Mother’s Day or Father’s Day theme, Baby Shower, or a Thanksgiving Dessert Table theme?

Fall Appetizers Board
Print Recipe
Serves: 6 Cooking Time: 40 mins total

Ingredients

For the Caramelized Shallot Jam with Jalapeño:

2 Tbsps. butter

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 cup shallots or onions, finely chopped

½ jalapeño pepper, diced (optional)

Fresh thyme leaves from two twigs (approx. ½ tsp)

Pinch salt

¼ cup red wine vinegar

2 Tbsps. brown sugar

1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

½ tsp salt or more, if desired

For the dip:

½ cup (120 g) cream cheese, room temperature

½ cup (120 g) Greek yogurt

1 Tbsp mayonnaise

½ tsp. garlic powder

Salt to taste

Olive oil for drizzling

Fresh thyme for garnish

For the Sweet and Spicy Party Nuts:

1 cup each unsalted walnut halves, pecan halves, roasted almonds, and cashews

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp. cayenne pepper

½ cup white sugar

¼ cup water

1 Tbsp. butter

Instructions

1

For the Caramelized Shallot Jam with Jalapeño:

2

Heat the oil and butter in a pan over medium-low heat, add the shallots (or onions), fresh thyme leaves, salt, and jalapeño pepper (if using) and cook for about 10-15 minutes until the veggies are soft and just starting to brown. Add the red wine vinegar, brown sugar, and balsamic vinegar and cook over low heat until almost all the liquid has evaporated and turns into the consistency of thick jam. Add more salt if desired. Remove from heat and let cool.

3

For the dip: Combine the cream cheese, Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, garlic powder, and salt in a bowl. Beat well until the mixture is smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add the cooled shallot jam. Transfer the dip to a small serving bowl and make a swirling design on top using the back of a small spoon. Drizzle some olive oil on top of the dip and garnish with a little fresh thyme leaves.

4

For the Sweet and Spicy Party Nuts:

5

Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Place the nuts in a large bowl, season with salt, cumin, and cayenne pepper and toss to coat.

6

In a small saucepan, heat the water, sugar, and butter over medium low heat until the butter melts. Slowly pour this mixture over the bowl of nuts and stir to coat.

7

Line a medium-sized baking tray with aluminum foil. Spread the nut mixture in one layer onto the tray. Bake the nuts for approximately 15 minutes, occasionally stirring the nuts to ensure even baking. The nuts should be roasted and rather sticky when done.

8

Let cool before serving. Occasionally stir the nuts while cooling to ensure they don’t stick together.

October 14, 2021 By Fran Flint

Chili-Roasted Tomatoes with Yogurt and Pistachios Roasted Sweet Potato and Brussels Sprout Salad

About Fran Flint

I've lived in Paris, Adelaide and San Diego and love to create tasty recipes from around the world!

7 Comments

kitchenriffs

October 14, 2021 at 2:11 pm

Great looking appetizer board! That dip is particularly drawing my eye — looks really deeply flavored. And I’m a sucker for anything with jalapeño. 🙂 Really nice — thanks.

Fall Appetizers Board

Boring Boards?

Caramelized Shallot Jam Dip with Jalapeño

Sweet and Spicy Party Nuts