Looking for something beyond the regular lineup of BBQ favorites? Consider adding a colorful, summery cheese and charcuterie board to your menu! Always a crowd pleaser, it can easily be thrown together for any last-minute gathering, picnic, or weeknight graze. Paired with wine or mocktails or even followed by a full meal, this decorative food spread is sure to be a hit with your friends and family. Our gourmet department buyer, Trisha, helped us create this fresh, seasonal spread with some of our most popular (and local) items.
The first step to curating the perfect charcuterie board is to collect your ingredients. Our best tip is to have fun, be creative, and don’t overthink it! Different colors, textures, and flavors only add to the final presentation and offer a little something for everyone. We recommend looking through your pantry and fridge before you shop to find things that you can add like nuts, dried fruit, etc. Since the board boasts a large variety of items, this is a good way to use up little bits of fruits, veggies, and cheese that you already have on hand.
Cheeses:
Add as many or as few as you like, though we recommend 3-5 for a well-rounded selection. It’s also helpful to consider your guests and their preferences.
- Start with 1-2 hard cheeses. We selected two local favorites β Organic Paradise Cheddar from Seven Stars Farm and tangy Birchrun Blue.
- Next, we chose a creamy chevre from Vermont Creamery. We rolled our goat cheese in dried edible flowers (chamomile, calendula, and rose petals) to enhance the summery vibe. Dried or chopped fresh herbs also add flavor, texture, and wow-factor.
- Finally, we decided to keep things light with 2 soft cheeses. The first is brie-style Thistle from Valley Milkhouse. The second is a soft, mild, Italian Stracciatella β shreds of fresh mozzarella soaked in sweet cream (the creamy inside of burrata cheese). We spooned this onto our board in the shape of flower petals and added a dollop of locally made Ginger Peach Chutney from Tait Farm Foods to make the flower’s center.
Meats:
- For this board, we kept things simple and used a flavorful Sopressa from Creminelli. The fact that it’s pre-sliced only added to the ease in making our charcuterie flowers. We simply layered the slices, overlapping as we went, around the rim of a small glass or champagne flute. When it was the size we wanted, we flipped the glass over and removed our perfectly formed blossom.
Savory Snacks:
Once we’d covered the basics and main components of our board, we decided to have some fun with some brined, tangy, and salty bites.
- First, we added a pre-marinated mix of lemony olives, peppers, and feta from Divina in a small ramekin.
- Another ramekin of zesty, Spicy Cornichons from Three Little Pigs.
- Then we layered Dolmas Stuffed Grape Leaves directly onto our board.
Crackers and Bread:
- Thinking in terms of sweet, and savory flavor and texture we layered in Fig & Almond Seeded Crisps and Wafer Crackers Olina’s Bakehouse. We also scattered local Sea Salt Crostini from DiBruno Brothers.
Fruits and Veggies:
- This is the easiest way to capture the season, adding freshness and color. We dropped watermelon wedges, sliced yellow peaches, strawberries, and juicy blackberries in between other ingredients to fill empty spaces between our meats and cheeses.
A Little Sweetness and Crunch:Β
- Last, we added our KWF bulk department favorites, filling empty spaces with sweet and salty raspberry yogurt pretzels and crunchy pistachios. Making sure there are no empty spaces adds to an abundant aesthetic and makes it fun for guests to choose items to add to their plate. This is also the perfect time to add jams and/or honey (even still in its jar) as a finishing touch.
Portions are recommendations based on 4-6 guests. Add additional items or increase amounts for larger groups.Β