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Learn how to construct you own elegant charcuterie board with simple ingredients. These basic techniques will make you want to construct charcuterie boards all the time.
Everyone loves a charcuterie board. Its elegant yet delicious and sometimes too pretty to eat. There are just a few things that you need and then the sky’s the limit when it comes to creativity. If you need some guidance on how to make a charcuterie board then you’re at the right place.
Now, I will admit that they aren’t the healthiest but it’s not like you’re going to eat them every day. Lord knows I could though! Plus, there’s fruit in it! So yeah, it’s healthy in this Panda’s book.
To make these a tad healthier I like to buy my fruits, meats and cheeses at local produce stands, farms and farmers’ markets. We love our local honey because it helps with seasonal allergies and its deeeelicious-o! Its great on a charcuterie board especially with soft cheese like brie. Plus, a good bit of the food we eat relies on bee pollination so buy local honey y’all!
Buy Local for your charcuterie board
Buying local helps your community and also helps to reduce the fuel necessary to transport goods from farm to table. According to Well.org, With the release of almost 250,000 tons of global warming gases attributed to the imports of food products, it’s no wonder that purchasing foods from your local farmer’s market could make a world of difference in making a positive environmental impact by limiting the use of fossil fuel emissions and decreasing air pollution. Shopping at small businesses promotes the local economy by boosting community wealth and jobs. This Chicago study found that for every $100 spent at a local business, $68 remained in the city compared to only $43 of each $100 at a national chain retailer.
I encourage you to click on these links and educate yourselves more regarding where our food comes from and the impacts it has on climate change. There is lots of interesting information on Google as well. We can never stop learning and changing our ways!
Sometimes we do have to shop at the big stores, and you can pick up some good choices for your charcuterie board there as well. Charcuterie can be expensive, and I have found that Aldi has a great selection, and you just can’t beat the prices. Stores like Whole Foods, Fresh Market, Sprouts and Trader Joe’s also have quality items.
Wash your food please
Don’t forget about washing your fruits and vegetables correctly when you are ready to use them. Just because you bought organic doesn’t mean that there aren’t germs, bacteria, fertilizer and pesticides on your produce. In addition to that list of yuck there’s also all of the dirty hands that have touched it. I make my own veggie spray. It’s so simple and costs much less than the ones you can buy in the stores.
Read up on THE DIRTY DOZEN LIST and my suggestions for a homemade veggie wash HERE.
Shop for a charcuterie board
- AMAZON: This is a great place to find charcuterie boards of all shapes and sizes. Click here for the link.
- ETSY: There are so many charcuterie boards on this shopping site. Plus, they can be personalized for gifts, etc.
- THRIVE MARKET: This is a wonderful subscription delivery service that focuses on specific dietary and organic foods. I get many of my favorite snacks and grocery staples for less than local stores! Plus, you get free gifts every month and a free cookbook!
Charcuterie board ideas
OK, so here are some charcuterie board ideas. Add as many as the size of your board will allow.
- small fruits (grapes, berries)
- 2 or more meats (salami, prosciutto, pepperoni)
- 3 or more cheeses (include hard and soft cheeses)
- crackers (2-3 kinds)
- mustard, jams, jellies, honey, fig spread, dips, ranch dip
- chocolate, nuts
- carrots, celery, cherry tomatoes, radishes
- garnish with fresh herbs/flowers
- cutting board, nice plate, cookie sheet, tackle box (LOL)
There are no rules to this, honestly. Arrange your goodies any way you like and try to fill in the gaps. You may need to move things around until you like the way it looks, especially if you’re OCD like me.
You can purchase a board specifically made for charcuterie or you can get creative. I’ve used cookie sheets, cutting boards, tackle boxes and large plates. We recently received a charcuterie board as a wedding gift, and we love it! It’s the perfect wedding gift, just wish it came with the meats and cheese on it already, LOL.
Pour yourself a tall glass of wine and enjoy your beautiful design. Hey, that rhymes!
The “charcuterie rose” is very simple to make all it requires is a small cup. You can find many instructional videos on you tube.
Happy munching y’all.
-Panda
