Olive and Pickle Wreath

This bright and shiny edible wreath is packed full of sweet, salty, and tangy flavour! Consisting of your favourite pickled and marinated foods, an Olive and Pickle Wreath is the answer to every host’s holiday appetizer table. Assemble on a platter and refrigerate until ready to serve. It’s easy, delicious, and festive!

As a devoted canner, I can’t help but think that an Olive and Pickle Wreath is one of the most delicious and beautiful things I’ve laid eyes on in a very long time! When I was putting together this 12 Edible Wreaths of Christmas Series, I knew one of the wreaths had to be built with some of my favourite pickles from my canning pantry.

Canners are a breed all their own! We place so much value on the importance of preserving food – even more so if we grow that food ourselves! The long hours in a very hot, summer kitchen bother us none! In fact, we love it! All of the work that goes into washing, peeling, chopping, cooking, etc., is more than worth it when the growing season comes to an end and you have a pantry filled with fresh produce to last all winter long.

And, when you have a well-stocked canning pantry, it’s easy to throw together an edible wreath like this! But, also, even if you don’t have the desire or know-how to can and preserve, you can still whip up a wreath just as beautiful as this one by paying a visit to your local grocery store. In fact, every item used in this wreath can be found in most large chain stores – even Walmart!

My Olive and Pickle Wreath is the third in my 12 Edible Wreaths of Christmas Series. If you have not done so already, please join me for 12 consecutive days – yes, even Saturday and Sunday! – while I share one new edible wreath with you every day. If you cannot wait until tomorrow, you can always check out a series from Christmases past. Find the links for each series below. So, let’s just get into it!

EDIBLE WREATHS ARE THE CHARCUTERIE OF CHRISTMAS!

Charcuterie boards are everywhere these days, and it seems that there’s a theme for just about everything. With that in mind, why not create wreath-shaped charcuterie boards for Christmastime!? I started out with a few varieties in mind, but the more I thought about it, the more I loved the idea and before long, I had a list of twenty themes. Narrowing it down to 12 was hard, but I managed to put some of the themes aside until next year!

With an abundance of pickled foods from our canning pantry, and some store-bought rosemary and summer savoury, I put together this Olive and Pickle Wreath quite quickly and easily. Everything you see in the wreath is available at most larger chain stores, which means all you have to do is assemble it. Christmastime is busy enough as it is! Putting out a nice spread for friends and family shouldn’t add to your holiday stress!

Most charcuterie boards will include thinly sliced meats and cheese too. And, you can certainly add those things to your wreath if you’re putting it out before dinner as an appetizer. But, in this case, I’m keeping these wreaths simple and very on-theme.

WHAT IS CHARCUTERIE ANYWAY?

Charcuterie is a French term meaning “flesh” and “cooked.” It is a branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products, such as bacon, ham, sausage, terrines, and pate, etc. Originally intended as a way to preserve meat before the advent of refrigeration, they are prepared today for the flavours derived from the preservation processes.

Today, when we hear the term charcuterie, most of us immediately know that we are referring to the preparation and artful assembling of arranging items like cured meats, hard and soft cheeses, dried and fresh fruits, vegetables, and crackers or bread on a large wooden board.

Charcuterie has been popular in many parts of Europe for many, many years. In fact, there’s documented evidence of charcuterie being present in ancient Roman times. The popularity of these boards did not catch on here in North America until recently. Now, they’re everywhere! And, I’m going to show you how to make wreath-shaped charcuterie boards specifically for Christmas!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE:

The following is a list of the items needed to prepare an Olive and Pickle Wreath. Please keep in mind that the number of items you will need will greatly depend on how many people you are preparing the wreath for. Also, these items are suggestions only. Feel free to switch it up with things that you love, or things that you can find in your local area.

• Fresh Rosemary & Summer Savoury – In this recipe, the rosemary and summer savoury is not consumed. They are merely used to create the look of a wreath and as a vessel for holding various food items.
• Olives – I used jumbo green olives stuffed with red peppers and smaller, whole castelvetrano olives. The latter has a seed, so place a bunch of cocktail napkins close by for your guest to discreetly spit out the seed.
• Marinated Artichoke Hearts – These are delicious! They are prepared with garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, etc. Some varieties have red chili peppers in them too!
• Gherkins – These little cucumbers are fermented in a brine, but don’t let the word fermented put you off! These are slightly sweet with a little tartness and smokiness too.
• Pepperoncini – These little yellow peppers are found on almost every antipasto platter! They’re great on sandwiches too. They can be a bit spicy/hot, but not as much so as a jalapeno.
• Pickled Onions – Easily found in most grocery stores, these little onions come in both a sweet flavour and a sour variety too. They add such a nice pop of flavour and crunch. Try them in tuna salad sandwiches too!
• Bread & Butter Pickles – These are my favourite type of pickles and I make them every year! You can make them with cucumbers or with zucchini as I have here!
• Roasted Red Peppers – I needed a pop of red, so I reached for roasted red peppers. These are delicious and pair so well with pickles. I love the smoky flavour of them. You can buy them or you can make your own at home in your oven. My recipe for roasted red peppers is here!

HOW TO ASSEMBLE AN OLIVE AND PICKLE WREATH

CREATE A BASE

The first thing you want to do is to source a board. The number of people you are serving and the number of items you have to place on the board, will help to determine the size you will need. You can use a cutting board, a charcuterie board, a marble slab, or an old silver-plated tray as you see in the photographs.

Next, using fresh sprigs of rosemary and summer savoury, create a circular pattern on the board. Position the sprigs so that the leafy end is pointing out from the center of the board. The size of the wreath will be determined by how many olives and pickles you will be piling onto it, so size the wreath accordingly. It’s always best to make the rosemary and summer savoury wreath a little bigger so that the green leaves are not completely covered with food. Once you’re happy with positioning those, it’s time to assemble them.

Start by laying down alternating layers of gherkins, pepperoncini, marinated artichokes, and bread and butter pickles. Fill in the gaps with both types of olives. Next, add a few slices of roasted red peppers, and then dot the wreath with the pickled onions. It looks gorgeous and takes very little time or skill, doesn’t it!?

MAKE IT AHEAD OF TIME

You can make this Olive and Pickle Wreath a day in advance, however, I would not make it two or more days in advance. I know that in most cases, many types of olives and pickles can taste the same, or at least similar, but they are distinct enough to want to keep them separate. If you pile all of these together for more than a day, the flavours will marry and everything will taste pretty much the same.

The good news is that you can make this wreath the day before you need it. Cover it well with plastic wrap and keep it refrigerated. When you’re ready to serve, take it out of the fridge and let everyone dig in!

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Nearly every item in this wreath pairs well with deli meats. Consider placing a platter of thinly sliced Italian sandwich meats like mortadella, prosciutto, coppa di parma, and salami. If you really want to make things look extraordinary, try making these roses with the salami slices! They make any meat platter look wonderful and super appetizing!

Pancetta is another great option. Contrary to popular belief, it does not need to be cooked. Ask your deli manager to slice it paper thin. It is Italy’s bacon, but unlike Canadian bacon, it isn’t smoked. Another great option would be bresaola. It is one of the few Italian deli types of meat that is made with beef instead of pork.

Put out a basket of bread too. Thin slices of fresh baguette are a great option. Crackers work nicely too. We can’t get enough of those Carr’s Water Crackers and Triscuits in our home! I swear, Dear Reader, at any given time, we have a least four boxes of Triscuits in our pantry. They are a great snacking option, but they are terrific with olives and pickles too!

Finally, I would be doing you a disservice if I did not suggest dips and spreads. One of my favourite afternoon snacks goes just like this. Take four Triscuits and place them on a plate. Top each one with a bit of hummus or your favourite spread – mine is artichoke and asiago dip! Finally, I top them with a slice of deli meat and a gherkin. Fetch me a cup of hot coffee to go with those topped Triscuits and I’m as happy as can be!

MORE PICKLED OPTIONS

So, what if you don’t like some of the things on my Olive and Pickle Wreath? Of course, you can change them according to your own tastes! Let’s see, I would consider adding Herb Marinated Bocconcini. The bocconcini take about fifteen minutes from start to finish. Store the cheese and oil mixture in jars in your fridge for up to seven days. They make a delicious appetizer and a great addition to any charcuterie. These little balls of flavour-infused cheese also make a great midnight raiding-the-fridge snack!

Another great option are these Pickled Sweet Peppers. They are tart, sweet, and just a little spicy. They’re so easy to make too! If you can boil water and slice sweet peppers into rings, you’ve got this! Speaking of peppers, why not add some of these Candied Jalapenos to your wreath? These bite-sized morsels of heat and sweet are highly addictive!

Finally, here’s something that is neither a pickle nor an olive. But, they are pickled! My homemade pickled beets are super delicious. They are sweet and sour and are such a deep, beautiful, rich red colour. I eat these like candy! Ha! And, if you’re serving cheese with your Olive and Pickle Wreath, consider serving goat cheese, because it is absolutely delicious with pickled beets!

MAKE YOUR OWN ROASTED RED PEPPERS

Roasted Red Peppers are a versatile condiment, ingredient, and topping. The ways to use Roasted Red Peppers and endless, and making your own is both easy and fun! If you don’t grow your own, buy a bunch when they’re on sale and make your own roasted peppers at home! All you need is red bell peppers and olive oil!

Begin by preheating your oven to 500 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside. Wash and dry the peppers well. Remove the core and cut them into quarters. Once the red peppers are prepared, lay them on the baking sheet, skin side up.  Drizzle over the olive oil. Place them in the oven on the middle rack and broil until the skin is blistered and has blackened.

Remove from the oven and transfer immediately to a large Ziploc bag.  Seal the bag and allow the peppers to rest for 30 minutes. Next, remove the peppers from the bag and gently peel away the blackened skin. Peppers may be eaten immediately or stored in a clean mason jar or food-safe container.  Keep them refrigerated.

MY CANNING PANTRY

I’ve said it before and here I am saying it again. If you take the time to can your own food when your local produce is fresh and plentiful, you will reap the rewards all winter long. Below, is a picture of my canning pantry. When we bought our house a few years ago, one of the first things that I noticed was the little pantry situated under the stairs. When we toured the house, I opened the door and learned that the previous owner used it to store boxes of crackers and tins of soup.

This small pantry, which as I mentioned, was built under the stairs leading to the second floor, would soon be my own personal storage space for my canned good. By the way, doesn’t it remind you of Harry Potter’s room under the stairs!? Here’s a picture of what my pantry looks like. I use it only for my preserves and save the real pantry for everything else, like dried goods. Can you see the beets and pickles in there?