What to Bring to Friendsgiving: Easy Ideas for the Table and the Host

The date is set, the group chat is busy, and now comes the question of what to bring to Friendsgiving. If you are the friend who never walks in empty-handed, here is what we see work year after year: something that finishes the table, something that travels without needing the oven, and a host gift that gets opened that same night.

Bring the finish, not another casserole

By the time you arrive, the turkey is spoken for and there are already three kinds of potatoes. What most Friendsgiving tables are missing is the last touch: something bright or sweet to spoon over what is already there. A bottle of balsamic does that job and fits in a coat pocket.

• Jeweled Cran-Pearberry Fruit Balsamic is a Greek fruit balsamic rested with cranberry and pear, tart up front with a long finish of ripe pear. Spoon it over aged cheese, whisk it into a winter salad, or pour a little over vanilla ice cream next to the pie.
• Barrel & Maple Dark Balsamic is a dark balsamic from Modena with warm oak, bourbon and maple notes. Toss roasted Brussels sprouts with it, or set it out beside the cheese board.

Bring a small spoon with it and set the bottle on the table, not the kitchen counter. Once one person tries it on their plate, the bottle makes its way around.

A bread and dip spread that travels well

Oven space is the one thing every Friendsgiving host runs out of. A bread and dip spread needs none. Pick up a good loaf on the way, pack a shallow bowl, and bring an olive oil and a balsamic. It sets up in five minutes on any open corner and keeps everyone happy while the turkey rests.

Our Olive Oil & Balsamic Bread Dip Recipe has the full method. Pour the olive oil first, add a few drops of dark balsamic in the center so it pools, and tear the bread instead of slicing it. Torn edges hold more.

Turn the pie table into a tasting

If you were assigned dessert, this is an easy way to make a bakery pie feel like your own. These are the three pairings we are serving at our own Friendsgiving this year:

• Apple pie with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of Jeweled Cran-Pearberry Fruit Balsamic
• Pumpkin pie with a drizzle of Barrel & Maple Dark Balsamic
• Pecan pie with whipped cream made with Citrus Press extra virgin olive oil

Drizzle at the table, slice by slice, rather than over the whole pie. The pie stays plain for anyone who wants it that way, and the people who try the balsamic start talking about it, which is half the point of a dessert table.

If you were assigned a side

Soup is one of the few dishes that travels well and often tastes better made a day ahead. A slow cooker keeps it warm on the counter without taking a burner. Our Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with a Maple Balsamic Finish gets its balsamic at the very end, so pack the bottle and finish each bowl as it is served. Guests get to watch the drizzle go on, and the bowl looks like it came from a restaurant.

A host gift that gets opened that night

A bottle of wine usually gets saved for later. A host gift made for the table can go out right away, while the bread is still warm.

• Gather from our Wrapped Collection pairs Tuscan Sun olive oil, co-milled with garlic, rosemary, sage, oregano and basil, with Old World Traditional Dark Balsamic. A blue and white ceramic dipping bowl and a recipe card come with it, all wrapped in a cream cotton tea cloth with dried florals. No gift bag needed.
• The Lasting Table holds three 200ml bottles: Slow Roasted Garlic olive oil, Old World Traditional Dark Balsamic and Honeyed Raspberry White Balsamic, in a navy gift box with a magnetic close. Bread dipping, cheese and figs, roasts and fresh fruit are all covered.

Either one works three ways. It can be opened that night with the bread, reached for all season while the host makes favorite family recipes, and set out on the holiday table, because the bottles are pretty enough to stay out through New Year's.

Friendsgiving at our table

If your group plays mahjong, we are hosting Tiles & Pie: A Mahjong Friendsgiving on Tuesday, November 24, from 5 to 8 pm in our Crown Point tasting room. It is casual open play for people who already know the game, with the three pie pairings above and complimentary coffee and tea. Bring your NMJL card and your own tiles and mats if you like; we will have sets available too.

However your group does it, the people are the reason for the day. The bottle just helps everyone stay at the table a little longer. Gather Well, Gift Beautifully.