Recipe of the Month – December
With Holiday season and “get together” season in full swing, this can come handy.
Cheeses:
Offer 3 or more selections. But no more than 4 or 5. Offer a range of textures and flavors. Some examples: a soft herbed goat cheese/chevre, goat milk gouda and/or cheddar, manchego is a great hard cheese and roquefort is a great aged blue cheese, warm brie is a really nice touch to a cheese board, as well.
Amount: Best to figure 3-4 ounces of cheese per person, maybe less if you have a fair amount of meats.
Cured Meats and Sausages:
Offer 3 or more selections: Salami, Prosciutto, Pepperoni, Sopressata, Paté, Coppa, Serrano, Dried Chorizo
Amount: Plan for at least 2 ounces of charcuterie per person.
The Extras:
Sauces and Condiments: Caramelized Onion Jam, Roasted Beet Cauliflower Hummus, Salsa Macha or a pepper jam, Raw Honey, Orange Marmalade, Fig Jam, Apricot Preserves or other fruit jams, Whole Grain Mustard, Olive tapenade
Crackers and Such:
Grain-free Everything Bagel Crackers, Grain-free Crackers, Toasted Grain-free Bread cut into triangles or your favorite version of a cracker
The Rest:
Nuts: Cashews, almonds, pecans, walnuts, pine nuts etc. Candied or maple sweetened nuts are great, marcona almonds are one of my personal favorites
Olives: kalamata for some Greek flair, Niçoise or just plain black or green olives are great, too.
Pickles or pickled veggies: cornichons, quick pickled red onions, pepperoncini, pickled okra, marinated or pickled mushrooms, pickled green beans, cocktail onions, etc
Cured, roasted and dried veggies: roasted red peppers, sun dried tomatoes, etc
Fresh and dried fruits: grapes, pears or apples in the fall, melons in the summer, fresh or dried figs, apricots, dried cherries or dates.
Fresh Raw Veggies: carrots, celery, cucumbers, radish, zucchini, etc.
Assembly:
There are no rules when it comes to arranging your board(s), but do not be afraid to have fun and definitely let go of any rigidity. Organized chaos somehow just works in this instance. Bring in various shapes and sizes with the cheeses. Cube up some cheese, cut others in triangles and be sure to include small cheese knives for the soft cheeses. Roll up the meats, make pretty roses, arrange in rows and stacks.
Bring the cheese to room temperature for about 30 minutes to an hour before serving to take the chill off and to soften. Room-temperature cheese brings about flavor subtleties that cold cheese does not and it’s easier and more enjoyable to eat, too!