A Charcuterie Board

This year we will be celebrating our

family Christmas on December 21st.

I will make our usual big Christmas

feast which we will eat around 1:00 p.m.

There is no way the grandchildren

are going to wait to open presents

until after we eat dinner.

So we shall open presents first.

Since we will be eating our big

feast early in the day everyone

is going to be hungry again later

in the evening.

That's where it's nice to put

together a Charcuterie board

ahead of time to have ready

to snack on when the urge to

eat strikes again.

A what board?

Charcuterie, or as I like to call it,

a Nibble board.

Pronounced SHAHR-KOO-TUH-REE.

Charcuterie is a French word for the preparation

of smoked, dry-cured or cooked meats.

Not only are they gorgeous to look at,

they offer a combination of flavors to savor.

If you are hosting a party and need

a no-fuss, quick and easy snack tray

to put together, charcuterie boards are

the way to go.

Once your guest spot this spread

I guarantee they will hover over this

board and devour it until everything is gone.

Not that I'm guilty of doing that,

I'm just saying.

I put one together and took step-by step

photos to show you how easy it is to

create a Charcuterie board.

First up, you will need a vessel to place

all your nibbles on to.
It can be a large platter, plate, baking tray,
cutting boards or whatever you have on
hand to corral all your nibbles on, plus
it can be any shape you want it to be.
Let your imagination run wild.

I'm using this large cutting board.

Step 1.

Add a few bowls or jars for condiments.

Step 2.

Add a variety of cheeses, cut into different shapes.

Step 3.

Add a variety of cooked and cured meats.

There is no rhyme or reason on how I place

everything on the board. Don't be afraid to

re-arrange, or add to the board as you go along.

You want to fill that vessel up.

Step 4.

Add a variety of breads or crackers,

or the combination of both.

I used crackers and pretzel crisps for this board.

Step 5.

Add a mixture of fruits.

Step 6.

Add a mixture of nuts, pickles, relish, olives, or dips.

To add a little pop of color, I added a few cherry tomatoes.

Step 7.

Add garnish in the form of fresh herbs and lettuces, such as,

Rosemary, Arugula, or red or green leaf lettuces.

Don't forget to add the garnish.

These are what make your boards come to life.

All four sides are gorgeous and draw you in for a few nibbles.

Don't you want to just dig into this Charcuterie board?

The only prepping I had to do was

cut the cheese (no pun intended)

and the summer sausage,

and wash the fruits and cherry tomatoes.

Super simple.

There is no right or wrong way of putting these boards together.

Here is a list of what I placed on my board.

Cheeses:

Smoked Gouda

Sharp Cheddar

Pepperjack

Vermont Seriously Sharp Cheddar

Meats:

Pepperoni

Genoa Salami

Smoked Turkey Breast

Summer Sausage

Crackers:

Breton Multigrain

Club Original Buttery Flavor

Garlic Parmesan Pretzel Crisps

Ritz crackers

Fruits:

Red Grapes

Blueberries

Vegetables:

Super Sweet Cherry Tomatoes

Condiments:

Spanish Queen Olives

Sweet Gherkins

Mixed Nuts

Garnish:

Fresh Rosemary

I hope you enjoyed my little step-by-step

tutorial to see how easy these showstopper

boards are to put together.

That's it for this week.

Until Next Time,

Veronica