What is a charcuterie (pronounced shahr-koo-tuh-ree) board you ask?
Charcuterie is defined as the art of preparing cured or smoked meats such as bacon, ham and salami. A charcuterie board is an assortment of these meats often times with cheese, fruits, nuts and breads added as well. Basically it's a fancy name for a meat and cheese board. They have gotten very popular recently, just check out #charcuterieboard on Pinterest. :-)
I was inspired by a co-worker to create one for Mr. H. because I just knew he would really like it. I decided to chose Italian meats and cheeses. I had a few things at home and I went shopping with an idea of different foods that I wanted to incorporate. I looked over all the fancy deli items first, but purchased most items in the regular grocery aisles which cut down on cost.
For this board I used -
meats
peppered salami and prosciutto wrapped mozzarella (both from the deli)
pepperoni slices
cheeses
small fresh mozzarella balls (store brand)
provolone
fruits and veggies
strawberries
grapes
grape tomatoes
(all I already had at home for this weeks lunches)
breads
small french loaf from the bakery
(you could use crackers or melba toasts instead)
other
small black olives
manzanilla olives
marinated artichoke hearts
sun dried tomato bruschetta spread
pesto spread
dates
olive oil with herbs for dipping
fig preserves (for a sweet bite)
and a bottle of San Pellegrino to share of course
We enjoyed our charcuterie board away from home so I packed up all the cold items in a little soft sided cooler and placed my boards, serving utensils, and jars in a crate.
I had pre-sliced sliced everything at home, so once we arrived at our picnic site
I just arranged everything on the boards I brought.
I don't have a large charcuterie board, so instead I used my wooden cutting board, a wooden chip and dip tray, and a small wooden cheese board.
I loved putting everything out prettily on the boards!
And then we dug in! Mr. H. loved the meal and I am already thinking of other foods to use next time. Maybe a greek themed one with feta, naan, hummus, etc? A breakfast one heavy on fruits, jams, breads and hardboiled eggs? The possibilities are endless!
