Charcuterie boards are not only stunning in presentation but also filled with so many different flavours and textures and is a perfect party snack! Charcuterie boards are so easy to make for your friends and family they will think you’re a professional hostess! I mean come on, who doesn’t love a platter filled with different types of cheeses, fruit, and crackers! My mouth is watering already thinking about it!
Quite often than not my go-to for the weekend is to make a charcuterie board for Gavin and I and some of our friends. Weekends are very casual and in the summertime, there is nothing more relaxing than sitting in the backyard with a few drinks and enjoying some delicious snacks, and there is no cook time involved, SOLD!. Every time I prepare a board I love adding new items to the menu. I’ll get different cheeses and crackers and meats! There are so many different things you can add to your menu which is why it is always so fun and delicious! I am all about presentation with my charcuterie boards because it’s so fun and the prettier the board, the more appealing it is to the eye and everyone will devour it!
Growing up Italian we always had platters of cured meats and cheeses. Who knew it was something people actually ordered in restaurants? I just thought it was an easy excuse for a snack. My grandparents always cursed their own meats in the basement. It was an Italian tradition and every Saturday or Sunday my grandfather would take it out and serve it to everyone as an appetizer or a snack while my grandmother made dinner. We would have it with cheese, olives, slices of bread and crackers and I loved it, even until this day!
My favourite place to purchase fresh produce is at farmers markets because they are always fresher and taste better. I love going down to St. Lawrence Market here in Toronto on a Saturday morning to grab some fresh foods. If you have a farmers market near you I highly suggest shopping there first before your local grocery stores.
One tip to make your boards stand out and look appealing is to add a lot of different colours and textures. Red and blackberries, dried apricots, fresh herbs, pickles, olives and various dips can add lots of colours. Also, make sure the charcuterie board looks full so don’t be afraid to pile the food on, trust me, it will get eaten!
So what do I put on it you may ask? Well first off:
- Meat: I like putting 2-3 different types of meats on my board. My favourite is the sliced pepper salami, cut up sausages, rolled prosciutto, smoked turkey, and ham.
- Cheese: Just put all the cheese. Kidding, but not really. I LOVE cheese, I mean who doesn’t, but I always like to put a variety out there because I know a lot of people have different palettes and are picky about their cheese flavours. Currently, I am loving the Boursin cheeses and I love the Selva Vecchio cheese from Italy. It’s perfect on a cracker with an olive! Yum Yum! Play around with your cheese and definitely experiment and with the flavours that go well for you.
- Fruit: Load up all the berries and friend fruits! I love adding blueberries, strawberries, dried figs, and even dried mangos to my board. Here is where you can really play with the colour palettes of your board.
- Nuts: With nuts, I like to stick with almonds, pistachios, cashews or walnuts. I find these nuts tend to compliment cheeses and meats a lot more compared to peanuts.
- Pickles, Olives and Dips: The more olives the better. I love adding different olives like black, brown, or green! Adding picks is a great way to add a different flavour and crunch to the board.
- Crackers: Mix and match your crackers with plain, multigrain, gluten-free, organic, chia seeds, or even poppy seeded crackers!
Next time you are thinking of making a charcuterie board make sure to grab a glass of wine and call over some of your girlfriends for a night of fun, laughs, and great food 🙂
