Maybe it’s both!
I can’t even call this a recipe it’s more of a blueprint. It’s really what I want to snack on before the main meal comes out. And, if you are anything like me, you have so much food being prepared for dinner but planned nothing for mid-day eating. It’s everyone fending for themselves until the dinner bell rings. A hefty charcute/crudité situation will give me the strength I need to get all my prep done, and something for your guests to nosh while they wait.
The glorious thing about boards is you can 100% customize to the moon what you want to snack on. Here’s how I go about strategizing my crudité/charcuterie sitch.
Start with the foundational pieces:
Cheese: 3-5 different types depending on how many guests. I like to have a selection of different kinds of milk ie: cow, sheep, goat. And, different styles:
- Something oozy, creamy, and a little funky…these are the Brie’s, triple creams, Camembert, Chèvre, etc.
- An aged cheese…Tomme, Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, Gruyere, etc.
- A semi-soft…Garrotxa, Ricotta Salata, Raclette, Taleggio, etc
- & 5. Now have some fun…go for a funky blue, herbed Chèvre, Truffled Tomme, wine-soaked, the skies are the limit here.
Your dips:
You can keep it simple or go for it… all the veggies and crackers are just a vessel for flavor:
- My Better Than Childhood Ranch is my go-to when it’s just us and the kids. It makes everyone happy and really, who doesn’t love a yummy ranch?
Other suggestions:
- Green Goddess is always a winner
- Creamy Anchovy Dressing (coming to my blog soon)
- Onion dip
- Romesco sauce
- Spinach Artichoke
The list can be endless of whatever dips live in your dreams.
The meats:
- Proscuitto di Parma, obviously
- Soppressata
- Hard Salami
- Finocchio
- Capicola
- Jamón Ibérico
Now we bring in the supporting characters:
- Veggies: go crazy with your favorites…my choices range…carrots, celery, cukes, zucchini, peppers, Belgium endive, button mushrooms, sugar snap peas, green beans, jicama, radishes, the list goes on…
- Crackers, baguettes, chips.
- Something pickly: olives, pickled beans or asparagus, pepperoncini, marinated mushrooms…
- Fruity stuff: Grapes, apples, pears, jams, fruit pastes like quince paste…
Some of my tips:
- Use the rule of odd number, threes, fives, etc.
- Put like things together.
- Don’t be afraid to Jackson Pollack your veggies!
- Make flowers out of your meats.
- Cut your veg so they are all approximately same size. I like to choose an interesting shape to add texture to my boards.
- Fill in the spaces with pickles, olives and fruit.
- Overflow that board.
I hope this gives your blueprint a good outline for tastiness to get you through all prep days, and keep your guests out of the kitchen (unless you’re into that kind of help, but that’s another story for another time). Tag me in all of your board creations @chefjenskitchen
