Soooo, this post was supposed to go live on Friday, except I accidentally deleted it…oops. But, regardless, it is no big deal, because I am sharing it with you now!
One thing, me and my sisters know how to do, is make a MEAN charcuterie (meat and cheese) board. I am pretty sure that every time we make one, we always get compliments on it and what is great about it, is that it is SO simple. So, with all of the holidays coming up, I thought I would provide you with an easy contribution that will blow anyone away. All you need is a few ingredients and you will be good. So, let’s dive in and I will show you just how easy it can be.
First up, is what you will be serving it on. This does not have to be complicated. Below, are a few of my favorites I have linked, but to be honest, I have even used a plain old wood cutting board. It definitely does not need to be fancy, so don’t worry. The other thing you may need is cheese knives. I invested in a pretty pair from Anthropology, but you can check out what I have linked below to see if anything suits your fancy.
Next, is the actual meat and cheese. Most people freak out over this and think you need to buy some fancy cheese. I can tell you from experience, that it does not have to be fancy. I have bought cheese from my local grocery store and I have bought cheese from an actual cheese store and I still received the same amount of compliments on it. I typically buy mine from Trader Joes, because I get a lot of my ingredients from there, but you can get them easily from your local grocery as well.
In regards to combination, I like to typically do 2-3 cheeses with 1-2 meats. I always try and have one more cheese than meat. for example, you could do two cheeses and one meat.
Third, you will need some sort of cracker or bread. You can slice up a baguette or use a few types of crackers. Personally, I like the soda crackers and the Fig and Olive Crackers from Trader Joes, but any cracker will do.
Now that you have your basics, is time to fill it out the board. What makes a charcuterie board good and “pretty” is it being full. I don’t know why this is, but for some reason, when it is full people like it. The great thing about this though, is that I use a lot of times what I already have on hand. Here are some examples: almonds, cashews, tangerine slices, dried apricot, thinly sliced pieces of apple, grapes, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, fig, jam, honey, mediterranean olives, granola, etc. The options are pretty endless. I just try to pair things with simple flavors and remember that it needs to be things they can easily eat.
Lastly, we have the most important part. In my opinion, this is what makes the board and I NEVER forget to add it – rosemary sprigs. I use these to fill out any bare places on my board and I love it, because the flavor always pairs nicely with everything. I also think that it provides a very rustic and inviting look to any plate. Honestly, it is really just a beautiful garnish and it smells heavenly haha.
I hope you enjoyed this post and I am so sorry it didn’t end up going out on Friday. Comment below and let me know what you think!
xxoo,
Melissa
