How to build the perfect charcuterie board

Have you been stuck with the spot of hosting an event or party and felt stuck; Because me too!  I’m here to help you create the perfect charcuterie board with all things you can pick up in one place- our farm market.  Hopefully after reading this, you’ll feel like you can check one thing off your list feeling accomplished.    

Let’s start with the basics; like what even is a charcuterie board? In short answer- it’s a board mixed with different meats, and things around it that compliment the meat. I prefer to jazz mine up, and add cheese, and other things to make it more filling. I usually use my trusty wooden cutting board as my base, but we have several of those in different sizes at the market if you’re in need.  

Next, I usually pick a meat, or two, and then some cheese to go along. For this board, I chose a shelf stable garlic summer sausage, and shelf stable cheese in cheddar and pepper jack.  We have local, refrigerated cheese that I would also recommend using to add some diversity.  

I then selected a mild sweet onion salsa and seasoned tortilla chips, for that person that likes something more classic tasting. Hummus is usually a favorite paired with crackers, or pita chips.  I chose a sea salt cracker to go with the roasted pine nut hummus. I also put some pretzel shells in my cart, because I thought those would be a good crunchy element, paired with the Sour Cherry Spread.    

Pickles are a must for charcuterie boards. It’s nice to have a tangy element to your board. On our jam shelves, you can find Orr’s Zesty Bread and Butter Pickles, which I think compliment some of the sweet items on the board. Anything pickled will do, but just don’t forget the pickles.    

Speaking of sweet, always, always, always, add fresh fruit if you can. I prefer an apple, usually a Gold Rush, but you could use your favorite. I like to wash and slice my apples super thin.  I also would add grapes, because they are a nice colorful element that takes minimal effort. I like to do a small dish of either trail mix, or almonds, for some extra protein. Lastly, I added coconut macrons, and dark chocolate covered pretzels, because who can say no to that??

Teaching you how to arrange a board through reading would be hard, so check out this link for some inspo pics of how to create your board.