Charcuterie Boards 101

"Charcuterie Boards" is a term used to refer to a board that is filled with cured meats, cheeses, veggies, nuts, olives, dried fruits, crackers, and more!

So what exactly makes them so popular? There are really no rules when it comes to creating a charcuterie board and no recipe needs to be followed. Always try to have a balance: select a variety of ingredients based on texture, fat, salt, and spice. Also a variety of colors and shapes. Sure, there's an art to making a charcuterie board look as impressive as the ones you've seen all over Instagram and Pinterest. But don't worry, the below guidelines are very helpful when prepping a board:

The 6 basic elements:

1. Cheese

2. Meat (charcuterie)

3. Produce (fruits, veggies)

4. Crunch (crackers, nuts)

5. Dip (jams, honey)

6. Garnish

Have the following equipment standing by: - A round wooden board for arranging food, use a platter or marble slab, if you prefer. Approximately 10-12 inches. If you don’t have a round base, use a rectangular one. - Variety of small bowls for placing dips, mustard, or small fruits or veggies. Additionally, use measuring cups for a cool, classy-looking ingredient holder. With small bowls, go for a variety of colors, sizes, shapes, and materials. - Utensils: You will need some knives for cutting cheese or spoons for scooping pate or dips. Forks or toothpicks are also helpful for moving ingredients from the board onto your plate.

Remember, use your creativity and imagination! You can keep it as simple as you like or dress it up. You can also keep it budget-friendly by setting out a small plate or go all out with a huge platter.

Prep time: 20min - Cook time: 20min - Total time: 40min

Serves: 8-10ppl as an appetizer

Ingredients:

8-10oz soft cheese such as: Brie or Camembert

8-10oz hard cheese such as: Gouda, Cheddar, or Manchego

6-8oz Hard Salami, sliced

4oz Prosciutto de Parma or Jamon Serrano

4oz Soppressata or Chorizo, Sliced

2 fruit variety such as: Berries or Grapes

1 dried fruit such as: Apricot or Dates

2 nut variety such as: Almonds or Cashews

4oz jam, honey, or fruit preserve of choice

Olives of choice (optional)

2 fresh herbs, for garnish

Edible flowers, for garnish (optional)

Cracker of choice or toasted baguette slices, for serving

Directions:

• Prepare board with parchment paper if not food safe. You can also use beeswax and mineral oil to season the board.

• Slice meats and cheese.

• Wash and dry fruits.

• Place a small bowl on a corner of your board. Two if adding olives.

• Place cheese on opposite sides of the board.

• Then place the meats across the board and next to each other.

• Fill large empty spaces with fresh and dry fruits.

• Fill small empty spaces with the nuts and olive.

• Add the jam o honey to the bowl. Add olives to the other bowl.

• Garnish with the fresh herbs.

• Serve crackers on the side. If you still have empty spaces add crackers to the board.