Assembling a Cheese Board
I think my most favorite appetizer to offer guests is a charcuterie board. Regardless of the occasion, it offers something to gather around while family and friends enjoy each other’s company. Instead of a few separate appetizers before Thanksgiving dinner, you can offer one large (or small) display of yummy treats. Any sort of cheese or charcuterie board is easy to assemble - you don’t have to cook anything!
Depending on the crowd, I choose different types of items to include on a board. Most often, I will choose three cheeses that are quite different from one another. I’ll add two to four or five different meats… there are no rules! What I love are the accoutrements. Since it’s the holiday season, I would add large leftover sprigs of rosemary from the garden and magnolia leaves underneath a few of the cheeses. I’d use dark lush purple fruits, such as grapes, figs and blueberries. I would accessorize with little artichokes and halved pomegranates for some gorgeous crimson color. Options are limitless!
A few basic steps I follow when putting together a board:
I add my pillars first: the cheese
I add a selection of meats - fanned out soppressata and layers of loosely rolled prosciutto
I add crackers - close enough to grab together with a piece of cheddar or salami
The rest - nuts, fresh and dried fruits, olives, edible flowers, honeycomb, decorative leaves... I add these all throughout the board to make it look like a true bounty of deliciousness!
I usually like to cut into any cheese that requires cutting so guests are encouraged to take the first bite.
To make sure the board is completely enjoyed, always serve a wonderful beverage with great music. If it’s summertime, I might play Cocktail Hour or Shed. If it’s a cozy winter dinner party, I’ll play Paris Living Room. If it’s during the day, before Thanksgiving dinner, I might just play Vince Guaraldi’s A Charlie Brown Christmas on repeat for some classic holiday music.
If you’re looking for a board to keep at home, ready to be pulled for entertaining, here are a few boards I’d buy right now. One of the Christmas tree boards by etú, I’d love to use a long narrow board, and I’d buy a few different sized silver trays from a search on Etsy. Happy feasting!
