One of my favorite things to eat is a board filled with cured meats, cheeses, and some ripe fruit. For my Italian friends, we call this Antipasto, but to most this is known as Charcuterie. Regardless of which term you prefer to use, this makes a great appetizer, lunch or sometimes, even dinner for me and my family. What I love about making a board is that no matter what you choose to add, you can always make something that is delicious and beautiful. Boards are meant to be a simple and fun way to serve delicious food, so worry less about making it perfect and focus on what you love, or in a pinch, what you have!
Boards! Boards! Boards!
They say the first step in recovery is admitting you have a problem and I am truly a board addict! The picture does not do my collection justice, but I think you get the picture!
The truth is, use what you have. Creating an attractive (and delicious) board is an art, not a science. You can use one board or if your boards are small, use multiples and let each one have it’s own theme. Don’t have a board? Use a platter or even a decorative plate. Add some decorative bowls, mason jars, or glasses to add some height and hold veggies, dips, breadsticks or whatever your heart desires. The key is to have fun and make it your own!
Eat What You Love
Pretty doesn’t mean tasty, so your boards should be about what you love to eat, not just what looks good together. My Italian soul can’t live without cured meats, cheeses, and some form of bread, but my gut would prefer that my boards are more vegetable forward.
For my fellow cured meat and cheese aficionados, my recommendation is to always buy the best meat and cheese you can afford. You will always see Volpi Genoa Salami on my plates along with a mild soppressata. Sometimes prosciutto will make an appearance, but I’m a bigger fan of good Spanish Serrano Ham. Angelo Caputo’s Fresh Market is a great source for these meats, but my favorite Italian store for cured meats and honestly, any Italian food, is Freddy’s Pizzeria in Cicero, Illinois. Freddy’s makes a homemade soppressetta that you will dream about. While you are there, pick up some salami salad (literally salami in oil), a loaf of pepperoni bread, and some homemade gelato or Italian Ice. BTW…the Frutti di Bosco gelato and the half and half cantaloupe and chocolate Italian Ice are my favorites! Regardless of what you buy there, I guarantee you won't make it home without sampling everything in the car!
Imported Parmaggiano Reggino and whole milk mozzarella typically make their way to most of my boards, but I also like to spice things up with Whole Food’s Three Chili Gouda or Sicilian Jack Cheese. I love the combination of salty meats with these spicy, creamy cheeses. Fontinella cheese is also one of my favorites. It’s hard to describe, but imagine a creamier version of Parmaggiano Reggiano and that would be a good start! Caputos, Freddy’s, and Whole Foods have great cheeses available, but when you can, try The Cheese People. If you live in the Fox Valley area, you can find them on Saturday mornings at the Aurora Farmer’s Market. They always bring an amazing selection of cheeses and sometimes, you can even get a sample! The goat cheese gouda is SO creamy, but I’m seriously in love with their selection of Bleu Cheese and Gorgonzola.
I also have discovered some tasty meat and cheese options at one of my all time favorite stores, Stonehouse Market in downtown Oswego, Illinois. They sell a great selection of Jocelyn & Co.’s charcuterie line including a fantastic Jalapeño Monterey Jack cheese which you can pair with their yummy smoked Summer Sausage! The pay-off? You get to shop all of their amazing curated home decor (my house is their second show room) or for you do it yourselfers, you can purchase their Fusion Mineral Paint and products.
Other Accoutrements
I guess there are other things in life besides cured meats and cheese, right? Let’s start with bread. Buy your favorite and slice it small and thin or sprinkle it with olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper and bake it in the oven for about 5 minutes at 400 degrees to make your own crostini. Add some pita, crackers, and breadsticks as alternative options. Some of my favorites are Jocelyn & Co.’s Tomato and Oregano Breadsticks (available at Stonehouse Market), Alessi’s Grissini Torinesi, or Town House Sea Salt & Olive Oil Crisps.
Any kind of veggie or fruit is also a nice addition to your board. I love to add a nice bowl of fresh bruschetta, some roasted red peppers, radishes, grape tomatoes, pears, apples, and peaches. Dried fruit including apricots, cherries, and cranberries are always a nice addition and bring a different texture and tartness to the mix. Add some briny, stuffed olives and your board is complete!
The last thing I like to add is some sort of dip or spread. Pesto, a spicy flavored hummus, a grainy mustard, or local honey are great options. I also love spreading a crostini with Divina’s Orange Fig Spread or Jocelyn & Co.’s Peach Bourbon Jam and then topping that with a slice of Serrano Ham and some creamy Bleu Cheese. That is my all-time favorite bite!
Don’t Forget the Wine
I never do! The perfect wine is the whatever you enjoy most! For me, it tends to be a Cabernet Sauvignon like Juggernaut Hillside or Frank Family, but I also enjoy an Italian Barbera like Pio Cesare Barbera d’Alba.
If you are in search of a perfect pairing, salty, mildly cured meats like Prosciutto or Soppresseta or semi-soft or fresh cheeses like Gruyere or Feta go well with a chilled Proseco, a French Rose or Bordeaux’s such as AIX or French Blue, or a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc such as Cakebread. More moderately spiced meats like Salami and some soft cheese like Burrata pair well with a lighter, fruiter red wine like Hirsch Vineyards San Andreas Fault Pinot Noir. Harder cheeses like an aged Cheddar or Parmaggiano Reggiano or cheese a Bleu Cheese or Gorgonzola pair better with bolder reds or even a bold Zinfandel blend like Orwin Swift’s Eight Years in the Desert.
Pro Tip
If you are ready to drink the Kool Aid, it’s time to step into the light! Make your favorite board tonight, share it and tag @madoniaskitchen! For an amazing follow-up, try my version of an Affogato - a double expresso with a (large) dollop of vanilla bean or rum raisin ice cream added in.