Comfort and Joy: A Winter Menu

Photos by Michael Piazza / Styled by Catrine Kelty

When I was young, it was always a challenge to gather folks to celebrate my winter birthday as it often falls on an actual holiday, but as I got older and became a part of the food and hospitality industry, I learned a trick or two. These days, one of the things I love to do to celebrate in the winter is to visit boutique hotels and bed & breakfast inns across the East Coast and New England. And while it’s always nice to treat oneself to a luxurious or cozy ambiance, I’m always in it for the comforting food and communal settings.

I enjoy seeing what innkeepers bring to the table and I’m inspired by the ways they interpret the unique bounty of winter produce. Staying at small, independently owned properties is a great way to enjoy the spoils of a region’s local farms, creameries, breweries and wineries as a one-stop-shop.

One such place, West Hill House Bed & Breakfast in Warren, VT, offers some of the most awe-inspiring breakfast items. Innkeepers Susan and Peter MacLaren take pride in their breakfast menu, full of Vermont’s culinary all-stars—a breakfast casserole with rich and luxe Vermont cheese, and blueberry pancakes with the local Mad River Valley maple syrup.

The Mansion At Noble Lane, a boutique hotel in Pennsylvania’s Poconos Lake Region owned by Monique Greenwood, also provides a notable breakfast, but it’s the “afternoon delight” that brings a wow factor that you don’t traditionally get at a bed & breakfast. It’s a lovely spread of meat and cheese boards, both sweet and savory tarts, often seasonally selected and filled with ingredients like winter squashes and goat cheese. It’s no surprise that these meals are inspired by the innkeepers’ trips to local farmers markets.

It is my wish, as a future innkeeper, that the following menu inspires you, and shows off the myriad ways that winter squashes, root and cruciferous vegetables can interchange between sweet and savory. I enjoy sweet potatoes baked into a pie just as much as I love them braised in a beef stew or added to a soup or bisque for their natural sweetness.

But most importantly, I hope you are inspired to make this menu as an occasion to gather with friends and share special moments that leave people looking forward to the winter and all its delights.

ARRANGING A WINTER CHEESE BOARD
Board: John Francis Designs / Ceramics, holding olives: Michelle Barrett Ceramics

Serves 8–10

Anyone who knows me knows that entertaining is one of my greatest joys, and at the core of that is the old adage You only get one chance to make a first impression. So I go to great lengths to create appetizer boards that take my friends’ palates on a journey, sometimes to other countries and through various seasons. This winter spread follows suit with an array of local specialties: Massachusettsmade cheeses found at a local farmstand, specialty shop or independent grocer; Vermont-made charcuterie rivaling the best of Europe; seasonal fresh and dried fruits, nuts and seeds to balance out the richer meats and cheeses. The best part is that you can really customize this board with your favorite winter delights from home or away. What matters most is that your guests have an amuse bouche that they will likely talk about for a long time.

MASSACHUSETTS CHEESES:
High Lawn Queen – High Lawn Farm, Lee
High Lawn Blue – High Lawn Farm, Lee
Prufrock – The Grey Barn Farm, Chilmark
Cosmo – Round the Bend Farm, Hardwick
Fresh Farmers Cheese – Smith’s Country Cheese, Winchendon

NEW ENGLAND CHARCUTERIE:
Red Wine Salami – Vermont Salumi, Barre, VT
Lonza – Vermont Salumi, Barre, VT
Finocchiona – Codman Farm, Lincoln, MA

ACCOMPANIMENTS:
Brewer’s Crackers and homemade crostini; nuts and seeds (almonds, walnuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds); local honey or honeycomb; jam, compote or chutney; dried fruit (figs, apricots, cranberries, cherries); fresh fruits (mandarins, grapes, figs, apples); Castelvetrano and kalamata olives; and fresh herbs for garnish (sage, rosemary, thyme)

ASSEMBLY: Arrange all components on a long wooden board and make sure to serve at room temperature. Set out little plates and knives so people can serve themselves a little bit of everything.

This story appeared in the Winter 2025 issue.