Augusta, Ga Photographer II Mary Beth’s Photography II Putting Together a Charcuterie Board

Charcuterie boards are having a moment right now. I don’t know if we have quarantine to thank for that, but I’m all for this. Putting them together shouldn’t be intimidating; it should be fun! From the beautiful cutting boards and serving platters to all the fun textures and colors, and lets not forget that they’re downright delicious! So let’s get this charcuterie board party started. My first thoughts are always about the cutting board or serving tray. I personally love the look of using a pretty cutting board and it also makes for a great housewarming or hostess gift. So think about what this is for; a small wine night in with some girlfriends, a date night in or even a kids afternoon playdate, and then you can go from there on what serving piece you’ll use.

Then I like to think about the season because it’s always nice to add in some seasonal items to enjoy! For this board, I grabbed some maple leaf creme cookies. One of my favorite things about a charcuterie board is that there is something for everyone! I like to try and put all my items out flat so I can see how the colors, textures and tastes will look together. Then, for placing items on the platter, I put the larger items on first and spread them out over the board and add in the smaller items to fill the space. I also try to place items that will be eaten together, next to eachother. This is a tried and true method and although I usually end up moving something around, it takes minimal effort.

There are endless options and that’s what makes a charcuterie board enjoyable for everyone. Here are some items I use when putting together these boards.

grapes
strawberries
apples
bell peppers, sliced
baby carrots
grape tomatos
celery (with peanut butter and raisins for a kids board)
hummus
dip (of any kind)
cheddar
port wine
gruyere
club crackers
pretzel thins
popcorn
prosciutto
genoa salami
soppressato
chocolate covered almonds
walnuts
trail mix
m&m’s

Knowing that family and friends will be gathering around to enjoy a charcuterie board is the best thing about creating one. Especially this year, I think we have all become aware of how much we appreciate eachother’s company. Something we may have taken for granted a little. So gather round, tell stories, laugh and enjoy eachothers company, I think we all deserve it!