Summertime Charcuterie Boards:
I love making charcuterie boards because they make for a no-fuss party option, snack option, or even a loaded dinner option. And for these summertime inspired charcuterie boards, most of the items can be found at Trader Joe’s.
What is a charcuterie board?
Charcuterie, it is pronounced [shahr-koo-tuh–ree]. And it is basically an art of creating and assembling a variety of meats and cheese. Learn more about how to prep your own here.
Preparing charcuterie board:
I like to have a theme or color scheme I am striving to achieve before getting started. And since it is summertime, I like to highlight and use what is in season. And my rule of thumb, no empty space! Don’t be afraid to load up your boards, the more the merrier. Feel free to use whatever size plater you have, the round one I am using is 16″W x 19 1/2″L and the square platter is 15×15.
Trader Joe’s summertime favorites:
Trader Joe’s is one of my favorite stores to shop for my charcuterie items. But don’t worry, if you don’t have a Trader Joe’s just find similar items at your local stores, most stores carry similar items. And the nice thing about charcuterie boards, is there really isn’t right or wrong items you can add to your boards, so use what you have.
Meats:
- Italian Dry Salami is one I love to use for creating salami rose’s or what I call salami snakes
- Prosciutto
Cheese:
- White Stilton with Apricots
- Blueberry + vanilla chèvre goat cheese
- Brie or mini brie bites
- Syrah Toscana cheese
- Pepper jack
- Cheddar + gruyère
- Mozzarella balls
Crackers and Bread:
- Fig & Olive Crisps
- Strawberry & Jalapeño Crisps
- Cracker assortment: Vegetable, pepper & poppy, Original, Wheat
- Baguette
- Sourdough
Fruit:
- Cherries
- Champagne grapes
- Raspberries
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
Vegetables:
- Persian cucumbers
- Cornichons
Nuts:
- Truffle Marcona almonds
Sweet:
- Chocolate covered almonds
- White chocolate chips
Olives:
- Black or green olives
Dried fruits:
- Orange slices
Decor and garnish:
- Rosemary
- Mint
Items not from Trader Joe’s:
- Buy Ranch Direct uncured variety of salami’s
- Honey
- Homemade strawberry + mint bruschetta
Assembling the board:
I start by adding the small bowls to my board and filling it with strawberry + mint bruschetta, Marcona almonds, and olives. And then I feel in the rest of my items around the small bowls. And don’t worry, things can be moved around if you start and don’t like the placement of certain items. Because assembling the boards should be fun not stressful! But as you are building think about the colors and shapes so that you don’t have too much of the same next to each other.
I hope this helps a little when it comes to assembling your own charcuterie boards at home. And of course I love seeing all your creations over on Instagram, so be sure to tag me in your creations so I can see!