Nothing gathers people around your table, bar, or counter faster than a charcuterie board! This casual grazing snack style of eating encourages conversation, laughter, and fun. Throw a glass or two of wine in and you have a great evening ahead of you! My husband recently made us a custom charcuterie board and we have already put it to good use. For our date night the other night, we munched, sipped, and painted! My husband, being the romantic that he is, purchased a paint by number kit of one of our favourite places in the world... the Cinque Terre. We visited there back in 2017 for a "baby moon" and couldn't believe the beauty, simplicity, and peacefulness in these 5 hidden mountain towns. Greg still talks about the "best glass of wine he's ever had" from Manarola and we often stare at a canvas print we had done of one of his photos overlooking the town and harbour. Ahh... oh to go back! I could talk forever about our trip to Italy, but that will be a blog post for another time! Back to charcuterie boards...
A good charcuterie board does require a bit of planning and thought, so here are a few pointers when planning your party board:
A variety of cheeses. Smoked cheddar, goat cheese, and brie are great choices. They offer a variety of flavours and textures for your guests to play with.
A variety of meat. Recently, my husband and I had prosciutto cotto, capacollo, and mortadella and they were all delicious!
Mustard. I love a good grainy mustard that boasts in texture and flavour.
Crackers and bread. Offering a spread of crackers and bread gives your guests choice in how they construct their perfect sample. I like having a fresh baguette, a sea salt and olive oil baguette cracker, and a table cracker (like Carr's). Offer a mix of size, taste, and texture to make your board appealing to the eye and tastebuds.
Dips and spreads. Hummus, asiago and artichoke dip, red pepper jelly, or spinach dip are all great choices!
Nibblies. As your guests ponder how to construct their next bite, they may want to nibble on a pretzel, an olive, or a nut. Not an essential to a charcuterie board, but something extra to consider.
A splash of colour! Slicing a granny smith apple or including a couple bunches of grapes on your board make it appealing to look at and is just another thing to nibble on as the evening progresses.
Don't overcrowd the board! Include a little bit of everything. Arrange your board in small sections that draw your guest in. Leave some wood exposed on the board; you can always top it up as things get eaten.
Pair the perfect bottle of wine. Wine and cheese. Cheese and wine. I don't know if you can have one without the other! Find a wine that pairs well with what you're serving (we love Chaberton Estate winery's Bacchus) and enjoy a slow sip in between bites.
I hope you have FUN planning your next charcuterie board!
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