The Creative, Delicious Charcuterie Board Plan
Let go of perfection and bring in fun, whimsical and creativity! I'm no expert, not a professionally trained chef or artist, but I do love good food, trailernutritious food, and fun, festive and fabulous!
I'm going to show you how I have collected dishes, tools and boards over time, mostly from thrift and consignment stores, estate sales and gifting to create a collection for entertaining.
We also cover putting things together to create a savory and sweet, crunchy and soft, hearty and light food combo pairings.
The Charcuterie Board Philosophy
My experience of the "art of the Charcuterie Board" is that it be engaging, eye appealing, enticing and approachable, meaning no fear of diving into and actually eating it. When we gather together to eat, think of the experience you want to create. More than nourishing the body and satisfying the hunger, it's such a bonus when it is also a fun, festive, creative experience. When you begin your creation of the board with these thoughts in mind, allow it to also be a rich, satisfying experience for you as well.
The true magic of a charcuterie board is knowing and understanding that is so much more than the ingredients, board, dishes and tools - the parts. It’s our offering and gift of creating something special to share with family and friends. It’s also a fun, icebreaker for a room full of friends, family and possibly new acquaintances.
Ingredient Pairings
A board is not only an artistic beauty to behold, but also a culinary adventure that puts a spotlight on its creativity as well as the ingredients.
The process of creating a delicious board begins as we plan, shop and select the cheeses with different textures and milk types. Then, we add in a variety of meats, fruit, crackers, and other items. And, cheese is not even required for a charcuterie board!
Always be intentional with the flavor pairings you choose. Be willing to step outside of your comfort zone and try new things and new combinations of foods and flavors. What are the flavors of the season? How might you create a holiday treat to inspire with bold, new ingredients?
A Charcuterie Board can be a great way to incorporate a theme into what would otherwise be "just an evening." Dinner gathered around the coffee table and TV, or a "Bring your Board, and Let’s Not be Bored Party", a bunco night, book club, or LRC game.
Food Pairings and Flavors
Have some fun and let your imagination run wild.
Identify flavors that complement and match each other as well as contrast each other. Sweet and savory, this creates a balanced food pallet experience that enhances the flavors of each item. Try pairing a specialty cheese, with a slice of apple, a drizzle of honey, or balsamic vinegar, a honey mustard even.
This principle applies to texture too. A slice or bite of Cheese drizzled with hot honey or an apricot or raspberry jam delights the tastebuds and lights up a your senses, maybe even providing that dopamine hit we love!
Opposites attract. Contrasting flavors can actually create harmony and balance.
Fresh cheeses: fresh mozzarella, fresh goat, cheese, mascarpone
Semi hard cheeses: Gouda, cheddar, Havarti, Gruyere
Blooming rind cheeses: brie, Camembert cheese
Hard cheeses: parmigiano, Reggiano, pecorino Romano
Blue cheeses: Stilton, Gorgonzola, Roquefort
Washed rind cheeses: Taleggio, Limburger, Epoisses
Meats: salami, which is a category of Italian sausages, typically made with ground pork. Common varieties include Genoa, sopressata, pepperoni, chorizo, and those flavored with spices, like fennel, black pepper, and even red wine.
Prosciutto, which is the Italian word for ham.
Capricola, an Italian dry cured, pork charcuterie.
Trader Joe’s also has a great turkey-based summer sausage
Boards, Tools and Creative Containers
Shop for a variety of boards, in all different shapes and sizes, from round, to rectangular, personal sized and table length even. Nothing can be more dramatic than a 4 or 5 foot board laid out on an island filled with artfully designed tasty food. Wood, Steel, and Marble are classic charcuterie board materials. Seek to find all different shapes and sizes
Honey dipper.
Cheese slicing board
Cheese knives, including, slim, blade, knife, soft cheese, knife, spade, knife,
Bowls and vessels, to hold items like jam, honey, olives, nuts, chocolates. Mini jars and ramekins in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. Silver and copper. These are all great fines at thrift and consignment, stores and estate sales.
Principles of styling.
Variety is the spice of life, so mix it up and get creative. Creating artistic beauty with your layout can be done easily with a little thought, trial and error, even if, like me, you don't consider yourself artistic or crafty!
As I show in the video, I like to create different heights and use tools such as napkins, table, runners, toothpicks, rhinestone tongs, and small, spoons and specialty forks and knives to create an appealing experience as well as a tasty experience.
Keep "Texture" top of mind. How might your food, tools, herbs for garnish and napkins create texture?
Color, incorporating color is the easiest way to create visual interest in artistry for a show stopping board. Think about your theme, your guess, and how you can create visual art on your board with different colors.
Themes for Your Charcuterie Board
While most charcuterie boards are often focused around cheeses, deli meats, and specialty meats, nuts, berries, and olives, don’t be afraid to incorporate a wide variety of other items into it.
You could create a board that centers around taco night, mini pizzas, a fondue night, dessert boards, Santa Claus shapes, Christmas Tree, Picnic, Mediterranean, Super Bowl and more.
Any event is an Excuse to Create Charcuterie Boards
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