The holiday season is right around the corner, and with it comes lots of holiday meals.
Overwhelmed? Don’t panic, because this month Vermont Edition is going to bring you lots of inspiration for your holiday table in the form of a three part — or three course — series.
A panel of local foodies with distinct culinary traditions shared their ideas for dips, charcuterie and small bites to serve before holiday meals.
Nurbu Sherpa runs Sherpa Foods, which sells pre-packaged Nepalese dumplings called momo and handmade sauces at markets around New England. Cara Tobin is the James Beard-nominated chef and co-owner of two Burlington restaurants, Honey Road and The Grey Jay.
Pete Colman is the founder of the Barre-based cured meats company Vermont Salumi. And Taylor Beaudet runs the catering company Taste VT, specializing in grazing platters and charcuterie.
Dips and spreads
- Turkey liver pâté: A listener named Molly makes pâté with the giblets that come with her Thanksgiving turkey
- Whipped goat cheese: At Honey Road, Tobin whips Vermont Creamery goat cheese with roasted and pureed pumpkin or butternut squash, then drizzles it with chili crisp.
- Mushroom pâté: A listener named Jeffrey in Albany suggested roasting mushrooms and blending them in a food processor with garlic, salt, pepper, a little oil, and parsley or other fresh herbs. Serve with toast.
Finger food
- Nepalese momo: These steamed dumplings are a Nepalese staple. Sherpa Foods sells beef, chicken, pork and vegan options. They are traditionally served with momo sauce, a tomato-based hot sauce.
- Tunisian-inspired deviled eggs: At Grey Jay, Tobin serves deviled eggs with a Tunisian twist. She mixes the yolks with a harissa caper mayonnaise and tops the egg with fried capers, chili and fresh herbs.
- Dolma: Tobin's dolma at Honey Road are stuffed with lamb from Tamarack Farm in East Corinth, rice, spices, onions, fennel, and garlic. For dipping, she includes a thick, strained yogurt called labneh mixed with dried mint, honey and chili oil.
Charcuterie boards and grazing tables
- Mix your flavors and textures: Colman includes a mix of fatty, salty, sweet, and acidic flavors in his charcuterie boards. He often incorporates Vermont Salumi pre-sliced cured meats, hard and soft cheeses, bread, a pickled vegetable, sliced apples and a dip, like hummus.
- Multiple cheeses: Colman likes local cheddar and imported aged gouda and provolone. Beaudet gravitates towards Vermont Creamery's flavored goat cheeses and Cabot's extra sharp cheddar.
- Jams, jellies and relishes: Gaye, a listener from Jericho, suggests green tomato, apple or pear relish, currant jam, or hot pepper jelly paired with cheddar cheese.
- Get fancy with it: Try your hand at rolling your sliced salami or prosciutto into roses. Beaudet will also divide a goat cheese log into bite-sized portions and roll each portion into a ball.
Broadcast live on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.
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