Marina Volkovas, owner of The Grazing Gouda, shares her tips for creating a beautiful holiday charcuterie board this season.
- Choose a variety of cheeses, from soft to hard, and mix up the flavors and textures for a tantalizing taste experience. Don't be afraid to go for cheese with festive flavors like cranberry!
- Give your board a seasonal twist by adding in fruits like juicy pomegranate seeds, fresh figs, and tart cranberries.
- Bring on the meats! Add in different types like salty prosciutto, savory salami, and succulent ham.
- Nuts about nuts? Toss in some almonds and walnuts to give your board a satisfying crunch and extra flavor.
- Bread is a must! Serve up a selection of crackers and sliced baguettes to complement the cheese and meats.
- Use small bowls or ramekins to hold spreads like honey, jam, or mustard for an extra kick of taste.
- Sprinkle in some fresh herbs, like fragrant rosemary or earthy thyme, to make your board look (and taste) like a winter wonderland.
- Get artsy! Arrange your ingredients in groups to create a visually stunning display.
- Keep size in mind and adjust ingredient amounts to fit your board.
- Most importantly, let your creative side shine and add your own personal flair to make your board one-of-a-kind!
For Festive Holiday Design boards, Marina recommends using Christmas cookie cutters for your cheese. For example, use a Christmas tree cutout for your brie cheese. You can also add fun festive cheeses that include cranberries or rosemary to enhance the seasonal flavor. Include Christmas cookies and treats on your boards as well.
When making a board for 4-6 people, Marina suggests 3 different cheeses, and 2 types of charcuterie meats, and fill the rest with jams, olives, crackers, fruits, and nuts. Shop your pantry first, you probably have most of the dry ingredients already, then, shop locally for artisan cheeses and meats.
Marina's favorite local spots to get great cheese and meats are Nugget and Whole Foods. She also shops seasonally and at farmers' markets in the warmer months. Nugget carries a large variety of cheeses and you can sample any item you want beforehand. Whole Foods usually does 12 days of Cheese Sale in December. A great opportunity to get discounts on high-quality artisan cheese.
A tip for gifting a charcuterie board is to leave the crackers off of the board so that your guests can place it in the fridge and eat it when they are ready. That way everything stays fresh. If you want to make your gift a bit more special, you can also gift them a nice wooden board to display the charcuterie on, some cheese knives, maybe some pepper jelly, and a nice jar of honey.
There are a few shops in Historic Folsom that specialize in locally made charcuterie boards, specialty meats, cheeses, olive oils, spices, candy, and garnishes to complete your own holiday boards.
If you need to order a holiday charcuterie board or you want to take a class on how to do your own, check out The Grazing Gouda. TheGrazingGouda.com
