Through my many years of cooking I’ve made various forms of these boards; just cheese and crackers, fruit and nuts, antipasto, charcuterie and recently I combined all these boards with a sampling from each board. There is a trend of boards taking center stage in the current “foodie” world and I am just following along…
This is my first attempt at such a big board (don’t you love my old German board?) and I have to say it was a success. These were pre-dinner appetizers that satisfied every ones taste buds! I chose to have my board more open and not have the items piled on top of each other as seen in many boards.
Pinterest is full of beautiful boards and I have been collecting ideas from different sources and also have a few books devoted just to this subject. Suggestions are given for themes such as Italian, seasonal boards such as Fall, events such as birthdays and just about anything you would like to do. Making one certainly allows you to be creative…
Perhaps you’re wondering what a charcuterie board is; Wikipedia defines it as “the branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products, such as bacon, ham, sausage, terrines, galantines, ballotines, pates and confit, primarily from pork.” But it is not limited to just pork.
Charcuterie describes any kind of cured meat but is typically associated with specialty and gourmet meats that are prepared using artisanal processes. The term “charcuterie board” often refers to an assortment of meats that are paired with different accompaniments, such as toast, fruit, cheese and sauces according to webstaurantstore.com.
Ingredients I used just for this board:
Dearborn ham sausage links
Columbus sopressata salame with sweet fennel and chili peppers – sliced with my French guillotine `a sauccison
Columbus Italian dry salame with red wine and hint of garlic – also sliced as above
Burrata (small ball)
Fresh mozzarella, cut into slices
Fontina snacks wrapped individually
Tilamook extra sharp cheddar, sliced
Marinated cipollini onions
Small artichoke hearts (see recipe below)
Assorted and marinated olives
Dried Turkish apricots
Dried Turkish figs
Grape clusters and red raspberries
American Spoon Farmhouse Tomato Relish
Carr’s water crackers
Italian flatbread crackers
Baguette, baked and sliced
Fresh honeycomb
Sea Salt-Roasted Pecans (see recipe below)
Basil leaves to garnish
The raw honeycomb was a big hit…
Types of boards:
Rectangular boards…
Round boards…
Slate boards…
Cute boards – a pig and the state of Michigan where I live…
Three-tiered cheese board…
Metal and wood trays – use parchment paper if you are worried about staining any wood…
Or cheese paper works perfectly and adds a little character to this tray…
Marble boards…
Ceramic boards…
Salt blocks provide a “pop” of pink and a hint of salt…
Serving, cheese, fruit and vegetable tools…
My olivewood, walnut and cherry collection…
Wusthof and Opinel knives…
I have a huge selection of utensils for all kinds of uses…
Small bowls and plates… for this board I used white and a couple of black dishes
Marinated Artichoke Hearts
Marinated Artichoke Hearts (cookthestory.com)
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp. dried oregano
- 12 whole black peppercorns
- 14 oz. jar or can of small artichoke hearts, drained
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar with the mother
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (approx.)
Place the first four ingredients in a 16 oz. jar and add the artichoke hearts.
Add the water and apple cider vinegar to a small saucepan and heat to boiling. Place a spoon in the jar to conduct the heat and pour this mixture over the artichokes until 3/4 is covered in liquid. Add the olive oil until fully covered. Screw on the lid and shake well. Cool on the counter before refrigerating 24 hours before serving.
These marinated artichoke hearts will keep for 1 week in the fridge.
Sea Salt-Roasted Pecans
Sea Salt-Roasted Pecans – Epicurious:
- 2 cups pecan halves
- 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
- 1-1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Toss the butter and pecans together; add the sea salt and toss again. Spread pecans in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
Bake until fragrant and slightly darkened, about 15 minutes.
Wow Judi, that quite a spread and one I could make a meal of. An impressive collection of boards, serving platers and utensils. You must have a whole room devoted to storing those. But, I was most impressed with the French guillotine `a sauccison. I’ve got to find myself one of those.
Thanks Ron – it’s a great kitchen gadget especially for someone like me who cannot cut straight. I start out with a nice thickness and by the time I get to the other side it often has doubled in size LOL! When I downsized a couple of years ago I did not get rid of many items from my kitchen, instead I keep adding to my collection 🙂
Love all the ingredients you’ve gathered on this board, and the beautiful presentation. Such a great way to nibble! 🙂
Thanks Ronit – there were so many items I wanted to add to this board but I had to narrow it down and think about who would be eating it. It was a big hit 🙂
I’m sure it was. Many times I would prefer such a board over a whole meal. 🙂
I agree Ronit – that evening I had two hungry nephews to feed. About 3-4 hours after we had this charcuterie board we had filet mignon with caramelized onions and blue cheese, twice baked potatoes, Greek salad and ciabatta bread! Oh and chocolate chip and limoncello cookies 🙂
Lucky guests! 🙂
These cheese boards look absolutely wonderful. I enjoyed seeing the many lovely options for the actual boards.
Thanks Sheryl – there are a lot of choices for boards depending on the number of people you are feeding. I’m glad you enjoyed them! Choosing the items and putting them all together is a lot of fun and gives you the opportunity to be creative 🙂 I wanted to make more homemade appetizers such as cheese straws, maybe pizzelles or a chutney but I didn’t have enough time 🙂
Such presentation. How could anyone resist Munchtime? 😋😍😜
Not me that’s for sure Gail 🙂
What a great post, Judi! What time is the party? 😉
Thanks Debbie – “boards” are a great way to feed a small or large group and provide “munchies” for everyone 🙂
What a great post. This could be my dinner. I’ve seen some crazy beautiful cheese and charcuterie platters on instagram, but those are too much like works of art for me. You have to be able to get your spreaders and fingers in there!
Me too Mimi – I like the “open look” much better and you’re able to get to certain items without touching everything. This was a big hit with my sausage/cheese loving nephews and others enjoyed the relish/olives/dried fruit, etc.
Wow Judi you are definitely in the catering business! I’m entertaining this Saturday and wish I could grab one of those filled Charcuterie boards but it gives me some great ideas of filling my own up. I love artichokes too so will be holding onto that recipe for sure.
Thanks Julie – it sure did feel like I was catering a large group instead of just a few! These boards are so versatile and can be created to your own taste and that of your guests – it’s a fun way to entertain. I have all kinds of ideas for future boards – I just need some party goers 🙂
I wish I was in the neighborhood! I’d volunteer and bring the wine.
Now that certainly is an impressive collection of serving pieces, including a French guillotine no less. Charcuterie served at your home is main event for sure. 😀
Thanks Karen – I saw the French guillotine in a Milk Street Magazine and knew I had to have one. For the life of me I cannot cut straight and this gadget solved my problem 🙂
The cheese board sounds absolutely heathy! The pig-shape board looks cute, where did you buy it? My 7-year-old daughter love it and asked to have one.
Thanks!
Love these!!! I always order at restaurants if they have them
Thanks Ralu – everyone seems to like these platters as there is always some food item of interest.