Our American Thanksgiving celebration really begins the week before with the not-so-American debut of Beaujolais Nouveau. Since 1985 Beaujolais Nouveau has been released every third Thursday of November from the Beaujolais region of France, and since 1989 my skipper and I have gathered together with friends and family the following day in celebration. Our first gathering was with 8 people hunkered under an oil lamp aboard a 1983 Panda. The party evolved to our various land homes with crowds of people and now, today, we’ll be back on board a sailboat, in blustery cold winds, uncorking a few bottles this evening.

Celebrating Beaujolais Nouveau undoubtedly calls for charcuterie. The party would not be complete without Camembert, Foie Gras, Jambon de Bayonne, and Cornichons. As you see, there is no recipe card here as most charcuterie can be purchased, particularly at high-end grocers. Don’t necessarily expect to find Foie Gras in, say…the Exumas.

One thing you can make from scratch however, if you have the patience, is the French Baguette. My skipper took a liking to “Covid Baking” and got the skill of making baguettes down to an art. It was a bittersweet time!

Radishes are traditionally served with butter and sea salt in France so if you can find some fresh radishes, add them to your charcuterie board for the pungent taste and a splash of color.

For the bird’s eye view of creating a French Charcuterie platter, see here…

So uncork a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau, save a few bottles for Thanksgiving, and Bon Appetite!