Christmas is a very special time for us all. It is the time of year where most people get to take a break from work to be with their loved ones. You have survived another rotation around the sun, it is summertime, children and students are on holiday, routines change, you can relax, recharge and celebrate! It is also the time of year where Christmas parties abound. You may opt for a more formal traditional gathering around a dinner table or rather serve a buffet-style cocktail party menu. Whatever you choose, we can almost all agree, that it is guaranteed to be a time of indulging our tastebuds and palates, and with the exciting Christmas party food ideas below, you can do just that.
Festive Food Colours
When you think of Christmas, you think red, green and white – it is traditional. Why not find a theme in your food colours and presentation when entertaining your friends too! Here is a fresh spin on the traditional Caprese Salad: Cut out the shape of a Christmas tree with a piece of board, cover it with foil, and on it arrange some juicy red cocktail tomatoes, blocks of cheese (choose cheddar, mozzarella or even triangles of camembert and brie – or all of the above), some fresh basil leaves and sprigs of rosemary or thyme and some black and green olives. Decorate this food tree as though you were decorating a tree. The perfect starter or cocktail platter. Remember to place a cut out cheese star on top of your tree. You can arrange any food items in this way - crudites, pickles, meats and pastries, just include different items for colour.
Try to choose food items that are the colours of Christmas. Marinated sundried tomato tartlets drizzled with a delicious basil or coriander pesto and decorated with an olive. Slice cucumber lengthwise to make long strips. Make cucumber rolls stuffed with a smoked salmon pate or any filling of your choice and decorate these with festive coloured garnishes. Arrange these on top of one another to create a 3D Christmas tree. The festive possibilities are endless!
Think Christmas, Think Creative!
You can also get creative with an array of fresh veggies cut for use as crudites: cauliflower, broccoli, carrots and celery to name a few. Arrange these into the shape of a Christmas wreath and place a bowl of hummus or tasty olive tapenade in the middle of the veggie wreath. Place these on a bed of leafy greens and include some mini tomatoes so that they look like Christmas baubles!
Take a rectangular breadboard and arrange alternating slices of tomato and mozzarella, or slices of salami and mini rice crackers, into the shape of a striped candy cane! Decorate the corners of the breadboard with some fresh basil leaves arranged as though they were holly leaves, including a few pieces of crostini or French loaf and a dipping sauce. Voila – healthy Christmas ‘candy’!
Everyone loves nuts, so why not arrange these to look like pinecones, using some fresh rosemary to make the pine leaves. Make or buy some spicy pastries and arrange these with some tasty, cured meats from Wildsprout to look like a Christmas star!
Cater for the Kids – or your inner Kid!
Everyone loves fun food, so why not buy some juicy red strawberries and decorate them to look like little Santa’s! Cut off the bottom point for his hat, put some thick cream onto the remaining berry and put Santa’s hat on making sure to pop a pompom of cream on the end of his hat and black sesame seeds for his eyes. Make snowmen out of ice cream balls and use star sprinkles everywhere.
Think like a child, be a child at Christmas and remember that all of your fresh and healthy ingredients are available at Wildsprout. Make this Christmas a very special and memorable one with these creative party food ideas, you will be a star!