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Charcuterie

Keeping weekend entertaining a casual affair takes the pressure off.

 Charcuterie is a French term meaning "cooked meat". You may be more familiar with an Antipasto platter which is an Italian term for an appetizer consisting of grilled veggies, cheeses, meats, served on a large platter rather than on a board.

We like to support and acknowledge our blog sponsors when we can. Lepp Farm Market was the first place I stopped as I knew they would have a great selection of meats and cheeses as well as fresh produce, specialty food selections and breads. I left with a basket full of deliciousness.

Charcuterie is typically served on a large wooden cutting board or a slate or marble slab. To start, choose a selection of cooked and cured meats, sausages and pate'. To this add an assortment of soft and hard cheeses, olives, antipasto spreads, fruits, crackers and breads. Tucking in a few fresh herb sprigs adds to the visual element of a Charcuterie. Amounts depend on how many you will be serving.

To serve, add some small skewers or tooth picks to the board. Small butter knives or little sugar spoons are the perfect size utensils. I used small pottery dishes and other little dishes to hold some of the food, but small mason jars would work well.

Here's a list of what I added to my Charcuterie board.
  • Boursin cheese
  • Smoked Gouda
  • Camembert cheese
  • Speck wrapped pickled asparagus (Speck is a cured meat sliced paper thin much like prosciutto but it has a deeper taste from the spiced cure that is used in the process) 
  • Antipasto
  • Onion Rhubarb jam
  • Olives
  • Garlic sausage
  • Pepperoni sticks
  • Hot pepperoni
  • Beef jerky
  • Herb crusted dry salami
  • Bread sticks
  • Grain and seed crackers
  • Grainy mustard
  • Figs
  • Grapes
  • Heirloom tomatoes
  • Olive and Feta Focaccia bread (using this bread recipe, shape into a round and change toppings to olives and feta, or change to your liking)
  • Baguette
Other suggestions: pickles, cheese filled celery sticks, melon balls, pickled onions, apple slices, cheese ball, smoked salmon, dates, nuts

4 comments:

  1. Oh so pretty!!! What a beautiful looking board of deliciousness. I have to make that Focassia Bread recipe! Thanks for all the charcuterie ideas - my favourite kind of appetizer.

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  2. Kathy, this is a beautiful work of art! I wish I enjoyed those type of foods, but I do enjoy how beautiful it looks on a table and the joy of hosting. I'm sure I'll use this in the future - my husband would love it!

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  3. Beautiful presentation. Magazine worthy!

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  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

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