What is on this Charcuterie Board for Two

Open a bottle of wine and you’ve got yourself a fancy dinner! It’s filled with an assortment of cheeses, cured meats, filet mignon , crackers, breads, jams, spreads, olives and fruits. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Cheese: We like to use between 2-3 cheeses. For this board we used Gouda, Manchego and an Aged White Cheddar Cheese.
• Meats:Picking the right meats is key, we like a combo of some salty Proscuitto, spicy Peppered Salami or Soppressata and the surprise meat on this board is tender Filet Mignon.
• Nuts:I kept it simple and used my favorite nut on – raw cashews. But you could add pistachios, pecans, candied pecans or almonds if you’d like.
• Fruits:Adding an element of sweet is so key to a charcuterie board, we used dried apricots, figs and blueberries.
• Jam/Spreads/Condiments:This is where things get fun, pick out whatever fits your fancy. On this board we used, Cherry Peppers, Fig Jam, Stone Ground Mustard, Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives, Sweet Petite Pickles and Honey.
• Crackers:  The “vehicle” to put all your charcuterie goodness on. We used a combo of wheat crackers, bruschetta toasts and water crackers.

• First: Grab your Cheese Board (slate, wooden cheese board, cutting board, plate, etc.)

• Second:Add your olives, fig jam and mustard to small varying sizes ramekins and place on cheese board.
• Third:Assemble your cheese (cut and uncut) all over the board.
• Forth: Unwrap the cured meat and place them in various spots on the board. Sometimes We’ll look at our board and see where it needs a pop of color! Make sure to leave a spot for your filet mignon. We add that to our board last so that it is still warm.
• Fifth: Now it’s time to add your “vehicles” to the board. Place crackers and toast points on the board, We usually like to make an “s” in between the ramekins from top to bottom.
• Sixth: Here’s the fun part. Take the fruits, nuts, extras you have and fill in any open spots on the board. Place them anywhere. There is no order to this. Just make the board look super full!
• Pair Wines to your Cheese:
• Cheddar Cheese and Aged Cheddar pair well with Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Malbec, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Merlot.

   

  Blue Cheese or Gorgonzola pair well with Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Chianti, Malbec, Pinot Noir, and Merlot.

   

  Asiago, Parmesan or other hard cheeses pair well with Cabernet Sauvignon, Chianti, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Malbec, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Shiraz and Merlot.

  Gouda pairs well with Cabernet Sauvignon, Chianti, Champagne, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Malbec, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Shiraz and Merlot.