Hi Everyone!
Happy Friday! Whether it's a weekday after work or a Saturday afternoon, I love nothing more than relaxing with friends or boyfriend over some Malbec and delicious food. For a girl-on-the-go like myself, a classic cheese and charcuterie plate is the best way to keep me (and my friends!) occupied and satisfied for hours.
For a little background, I work at Pinterest as a copywriter. I’m constantly inspired by the recipes, beautiful imagery and helpful ideas on the platform. There’s so many things I still want to discover and do. One of those dos, is perfecting the art of of a rad cheese and charcuterie plate.
I’ll have to be honest with y’all – I’m no cook so I like to keep things as easy as pie in the kitchen. Preferably with pie, too.
So? What’s the secret of a solid cheese and charcuterie plate that’s Pinterest worthy? Let’s get down to the basics.
A board to display your beautiful bounty. Luckily, I snagged my roomie Rob’s gorgeous wooden board that doubles as an actual cutting board and canvas for the main acts.
Second, is the cheese. I love cheese but I don’t know much about it. That being said, you should have a variety of cheeses on a board that complement each other and the charcuterie that you’ll be eating. I love mixing my cheeses up with two firm selections and a softer variety. For this specific day, I went wild with a soft Blue Cheese, an aged White Cheddar and Manchego. Serving one familiar cheese to your crew is a good idea and includes even the pickiest of palettes.
Next is the main event – the charcuterie! Pairing saltier and savory options is a great way to break up all of the flavors (and richness!) of your cheese. This is where I usually hit a roadblock, but luck was on my side when I found these awesome sliced artisan salami from Columbus Foods! They were perfect for snacking, portable, and super delicious. I chose a variety because I like mixing and matching my meat and cheese! For this instance, I chose rich and buttery Crespone to pair with the raspberries, the semi-sweet tasting Finocchinoa, and the sweet fennel and fresh garlic taste of Sopressata. All delicious and all super savory. Yesss! Even better? Columbus Foods is a San Francisco-based company. 7x7 love, right there!
After you have your basics, you’ll want to set the scene. Adding raspberries or some sort of fresh fruit and olives are my go-to. Oh, and lots and lots of bread. I picked up french bread from my local market – it’s lasted me for days!
Last but not least? Some music, some wine (or champagne!), and a solid view.
So what are you waiting for? This easy-to-create meat and cheese plate is affordable and oh-so delicious. The weekend can’t come soon enough!
Cheers!
Photography via Lisha Wang
Thank you to Columbus Foods for kindly sponsoring this post. All opinions are 100% honest & completely my own.