Relish Tray: Way or No Way?
Are they a thing of the past? I have some beautiful divided cut glass trays that my mother used for pickles, olives, and other pickled things (that I'm not crazy about). She also put out crudite with dips, but not on the relish trays. They were for holidays and "company". I want to use them because they're so pretty.
Do you put out pickles, pickled things and olives for guests? I'd polish off the olives, but my kosher garlic dills are probably too gigantic for dainty glass trays. I guess gherkins (sp?) would be more appropriate, along with bread and butter pickles, maybe. I never see anybody put these out anymore. (Too fancy for a superbowl party?)
Your thoughts, along with your vote please? Use them or like them, you're a Way.
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35 Comments:
Way! I wish I had a relish dish. I've put out assortments of pickled items (mm .. peppadews!) in lots of little dishes, but I could also see using such a dish for olives and bits of cheese, nuts, snack mixes, four different kinds of olives .. whatever. I've never had a super bowl party, so I don't know about fanciness for that, but I'd def use something like this for wine and cheese/snacks kind of party.
LondonM at 9:06AM on 01/28/09
Way! I'm all about these - my grandmother still puts them out for holidays/special occasions. Cornichons, pickled pearl onions, any kind of olive, etc. are all awesome things to put on the relish tray.
Junie at 9:07AM on 01/28/09
My family's favorite restaurant of all time as a child, Squire's Pub, used to have a relish tray (followed by hot rolls, cheese and crackers, and a wonderful spread even before the different courses). It had cottage cheese, olives, pickles, and a few other crudites. It seemed the height of sophistication! A very traditional deli in my area called Poor Richard's always puts out sour Kosher pickles, macaroni salad, and coleslaw.
I'm 'way' for the old skool!
HeartofGlass at 9:08AM on 01/28/09
But I would say, yes, too fancy for a Super Bowl party.
Junie at 9:08AM on 01/28/09
I say Way...even for a superbowl party. I use mine all the time, and not just for relishy things, but to divide different types of nuts up, or toppings for sundaes (if the wells are deep enough) like sprinkles, nuts, cherries, m&m's.
juliebugsmama at 9:33AM on 01/28/09
Way on the relish tray
Markbb at 9:49AM on 01/28/09
I sometimes use mine on hot summer nights for various cut veggies with one pickle section. Serve with, say, crackers and cheese, or chicken salad, and sweet tea. And a forties floral tablecloth. My granddaughters find it very exotic and elegant.
Blue Iris at 9:58AM on 01/28/09
WAY! I use mine for everything! my mom only used them at christmas but I use mine year round and not just for pickled stuff. I think theyre pretty, mine are cut glass too. use em girl! life's to short to "save" everything for a special occasion, make everyday a special occasion!
huneybumper at 10:07AM on 01/28/09
WAY! I love olives and pickled veg of all kinds.
VerasTastyFreeze at 10:10AM on 01/28/09
Yes, your spellling is right. And they certainly can be used for crudites as well as pickles. Pickled beets are a nice addition, BTW.
lemons at 10:15AM on 01/28/09
Too fancy for a superbowl party perhaps, but I still love them. I make my own pickled gherkins, cornichons and aubergines. But I also use my tray, like others said, for all kinds of other stuff, from cheese, berries and crackers to crudites. WAY from me!
brooke29 at 10:25AM on 01/28/09
My mom has what sound like very similar relish trays. I think she called them "Fostoria" (?) glass. I love them because they bring back such fond memories of past family gatherings. I say go with them. Who doesn't like olives and pickles!
elizabethw at 10:31AM on 01/28/09
I must say, I feel very lucky to have them. When we were dividing Mom's things, my sister and brothers all wanted the silver (I bought her the huge tea service and didn't even want that - too much trouble to keep polished), but I love the cut glass. Everybody was happy. Now that I have these pretty things, it seems silly to keep them in a cabinet and never use them. Love all the ideas for things to put in them. Keep 'em coming!
PerkyMac at 10:34AM on 01/28/09
Total WAY! And don't forget adding cream cheese stuffed celery, deviled eggs, and fancy cut radishes to the mix!
CheesePlease at 10:36AM on 01/28/09
Ditto to all who love them and use them. Why not use something beautiful and useful whenever the opportunity arises?
ocarol at 10:57AM on 01/28/09
I love relish trays. But the dishes you're talking about - I have some too! - may be too small to hold many nibbles for a Super Bowl party. The ones I have hold maybe a pint of liquid at the most, perfect for a 4-6 person relish tray and that's about it. So temporarily repurpose them and use them as candy dishes, or to hold a specific type of nibble.
For example, all the pickle bits in the relish trays, or a different kind of olive in each segment, or different types of cheese cut into cubes or sticks. If the pickles are too big, slice them or cut them into sticks or half-sticks. I've done this type of thing and told people "the oval dish has the really hot ones, the rectangular one has the calmer (or tamer) ones."
One thing I haven't seen anybody mention, maybe because it's a Southern thing, is pimento cheese. When we go to my grandmother's, there's always a little scoop of soft pimento cheese at the end to improve the celery sticks or spread on crackers. And my grandfather would always have his very own little tray of nothing but "tiny sweet pickles" as he calls them, which are cornichons.
morgancain at 11:29AM on 01/28/09
Just yesterday, I found TWO cut glass relish trays at a thrift store. For a whopping 3.50 I got a lovely cut glass tray and a very simple, almost plain one. They also had a pretty, round one that had quarter circle dishes that fit around a plain platter. I was tired of using ramekins as I never have enough to cover my selection of relishes.
calliope at 12:22PM on 01/28/09
Way, my mom has a few of the same plates. We use them for olives, cheese, other antipasta type things, mustard pickle, hmmm love me some baby corn!
Pickles (cucumbers) tend to make me quite ill, my stomach finds it unneccessary to digest certain foods, but I do enjoy them, and if I'm eating a lot of other things I can usually have a few. Always wanted to try a "kool-aid" pickle, but think throwing up pink might be a bit much! Sorry to be gross!
And Perky, brunch at our house is around noon-1 on Sundays, this one happens to be my dad's b'day, so your "jello" would be a welcome treat to the Prime Rib roast I'm making him for dinner! Maybe I'll top my cheesecake with it! ;-) Or I'll just have mom mix it in her frittata!
bobcatsteph3 at 12:23PM on 01/28/09
I say WAY...they're so civilized. Bring 'em back.
bessfour at 1:08PM on 01/28/09
Extreme WAY here too Perk!
In all instances of entertaining this is a must for me.
On my relish trays I like to include:
• Gherkens (sliced in spears)
• Pickled pearl onions
• Kalamatas
• Green Stuffed Olives
• Roasted Red Peppers in EVOO (from the deli counter)
• Pickled beets
I've even got a couple fancy plates for this. I don't normally buy fancy plates but I make these often enough that it's worth it!
hungrychristel at 1:26PM on 01/28/09
Love to put antipasto type yummies in mine...roasted red peppers, chunks of salami and mozzarella balls...ooh!...
sammie at 1:27PM on 01/28/09
I'm a way too! I've been collecting relish trays of various shapes, sizes and colors for years. I use them all year round, for all occasions, and would use them for the super bowl if I were hosting this year. They are also great for salad bar items, and condiments!
mepolo at 1:44PM on 01/28/09
SOOO totally way. In a huge way, I'm a fan. I would play to your crowd Perky. If you think they would enjoy and appreciate it, then I say no-it isn't too fancy. If you think otherwise, then I wouldn't do it.
I usually make food that plays to my "audience." I don't make "fancy" foods for people I know really don't care/appreciate.
Butrflygirly at 1:50PM on 01/28/09
@bobcatsteph ~ clarification here. When I say (repeating what someone once said to me btw), "You want I should bring a box of jell-o?", it means I'm bringing the box with the bag of sugar that stains everything inside. Not the cold quivering already set stuff, so use it however you'd like! Would I eat it if served? Sure. Would I make it for myself? Nope. Still can't figure out why it's a staple on hospital trays. 'Tis a puzzlement.
PerkyMac at 2:16PM on 01/28/09
Way because the relish tray - mine is really more like a veggie tray (carrots, celery, radishes, pepper strips, olives, pickles, etc.) - is usually the only way guests at my parties will get anything other than meat and cheese.
Will serve these items in those old-fashioned glass trays. My mom gave me a few and I think they have a certain charm, no matter the occasion.
Kimc54 at 2:17PM on 01/28/09
Way, there aren't many gathering at our house that pickles, olives and assorted other num nums aren't out as a finger food option...
jjoneseats at 2:22PM on 01/28/09
Fostoria was a company that made glass. And gelatin is a staple on hospital trays because it's considered a clear liquid, which is often the diet used first after surgeries. No, it's not a fabulous food, but it gets some calories and a little protein in, sits lightly on a stomach, and is often well tolerated. That is to say tolerated by the body, as opposed to, oh, say, my opinion of it personally, which is that I don't care for it much. Let's not get into the whole hospital nutrition thing, or I'll start telling people who get their families to bring in Jack-In-The-Box tacos to have for them as they wake up from a gall bladder surgery.
lemons at 2:31PM on 01/28/09
Way! And I get a little help and keep one or two of the guests occupied by setting out the jars and asking them to arrange the trays. They help with the bread tray too. I believe in kitchen participation.
Before my Mom handed down her cut glass, which came to her as a shower present, to me, I purchased some stainless steel (Dansk) divided dishes and dip service pieces for relishes and crudities. I'll put them all on the same table if needed!
whoot at 3:32PM on 01/28/09
We're definitely a relish tray family if you've ever met one. We fill our metal pan with a divider with pickkle spears, black olives and green olives. We don't have family functions without them!
Hillary
Chew on That at 4:28PM on 01/28/09
Absolutely WAY! I use them all the time and I don't even need an occasion. I like to read a book and have a cheese and olive tray there to snack on. It's always so much nicer if you present everything as nicely for yourself as you would for a party. I'm very big on "the presentation is everything".
I do it for the kids and their friends after school too. With fruits and veggies and grilled cheese triangles. Their friends love it.
And what Lemons said about Jello on the hospital tray. I was on a clear liquids only diet once and really came to look forward to the one "solid" thing I got to eat. That and sherbet, who knew that counted as a clear liquid?
carolrsfMISSESTEXAS at 5:18PM on 01/28/09
WAY! I love my antique divided dishes, cut glass and flower-etched glass varieties. I usually use them for olives, spiced almonds, candies, and other non-relish items. I did break them out recently for my retro dinner party, which featured devilled eggs, tomato aspic, three bean salad, and of course the divided dishes with gherkins, beetroot cubes, sour onions, and bread and butter pickles. A hit!
PeanutButter at 5:59PM on 01/28/09
WAY and you can still get the relish tray at Lenny's in Clearwater, FL. It's a great breakfast and lunch place right off 19. The veggies take the edge off my appetite. They have tomato salad, beets, cole slaw, and cucumber salad. My favorite relish tray item was chick pea salad from Richelieu restaurant on 18th Avenue and 65th street in Brooklyn way back in the 70's and early 80's.
therealchiffonade at 7:34PM on 01/28/09
Jerzee, please provide us with the history of the relish tray and its effect on pop culture in recent years. Thanks so much, ;)
meg3j at 8:07PM on 01/28/09
Way - I love a relish tray! But then, I love pickles and olives. When my family has a holiday, my sister puts out a relish tray just for me (or so she says) but EVERYONE eats from it - she just doesn't realize it because they eat from it while I'm making it up instead of at the table.
CooksForOne at 8:56PM on 01/28/09
@Perky, I did get the joke, I only eat the junk in the hospital if I'm desperately starved, and nowhere else! I imagine it's a staple because it's mushy and easy to digest, though I'd rather have extra fake mashed potatoes, I must admit I find those tasty, given the environment served in.
No, I wouldn't be topping my precious NY Style Cheesecake with it!! haha. eck. And while my mom is pretty frittata creative, if I saw a Jello frittata, I'd send her to my specialists!
bobcatsteph3 at 7:03AM on 01/29/09