How to Make a Charcuterie Board

    The word “charcuterie” (shaar·koo·ter·ee) means cold cooked meat. That’s French, but of course here in the states we’ve taken the idea of “laying out food on a board to look pretty” and run with it. Technically, there must be meat on the board for it to be “charcuterie.”

    Everyone loves them. Charcuterie boards make you feel So Cultured and Fancy. But really they are just glorified Lunchables. They make stunning centerpieces, and are often the star of the show. Which cheeses should I pick? Should I only pick 4?? And there are rules about hard, soft, stinky, mellow? They're colorful, overflowing, and filled things people love to eat, namely cheese, meat, and bread.

Rules for an amazing charcuterie board

1. You need a variety of types of cheese: at least 1 soft, 1 hard, 1 tangy. (2 oz per person) “Something old, something new, something goat and something blue.” 
2. Decide whether the board is gonna be full(no board showing) or minimal.
3. Don't buy anything you think your guests will eat.
4. A choice of fun and interesting jams, sauces, and savory spreads absolutely MAKE a charcuterie board. Don’t skimp in this area.
5. Provide a few different types of crackers and bread. 
6. Choose a variety of ingredients based on texture: crispy, soft, chewy.
7. Have something spicy and something sweet
8. Serve cheese room temperature; it’s more flavorful than cold cheese.
9. Be strategic in your placement, and arrange the crackers or bread in neat piles or rows, making sure they are not touching anything that will make them soggy.
10. Make everything bite sized. Cut everything that is going on the board.

    Cheese, meets, fresh fruit, veggies, crackers, nuts, spreads, sauces!

Example

Everyone loves cheese 8 oz. block cheddar cheese, cubed

Hard cheese ("something old") 6 oz. aged Guyère

Soft cheese ("something new") 6 oz. mozzarella balls

Goat cheese 6 oz. chèvre

Blue cheese 6 oz. Cambazola

6 oz. 

thinly sliced s

oppressata

6 oz. 

summer sausage, sliced

6 oz. ham

1/4 cup 

honey

1/2 cup Roasted red pepper hummus

1/2 cup fig jam

1/4 cup dijon

1/2 cup 

smoked almonds

Fresh fruit such as strawberries, blackberries, grapes, and apple slices

1/4 cup 

dried fruit, such as apricots or Craisins

Bread and crackers, for serving 

Loaded, Baked Potato Soup

 

Ingredients

• 2 lb (uncooked) bacon cut into small pieces
• 3 Tablespoons butter unsalted
• 2 medium yellow onion chopped (about 1.5 cup/200g)
• 7 large garlic cloves minced
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour (42g)
• 3 1/3 lbs gold potatoes 
• 4 cups chicken broth (945ml)
• 2 cups milk (475ml)
• ⅔ cup heavy cream (155ml)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper
• ¼ - ½ teaspoon ancho chili powder
• ⅔ cup sour cream (160g)
• Shredded cheddar cheese, chives, and additional sour cream and bacon for topping 

Instructions

• Place bacon pieces in a large Dutch Oven or soup pot over medium heat and cook until bacon is crisp and browned.
• Remove bacon pieces and set aside, leaving the fat in the pot.
• Add butter and chopped onion and cook over low heat until onions are tender and browned slightly.
• Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
• Sprinkle the flour over the ingredients in the pot and stir until smooth (use whisk if needed).


• Add chopped potatoes to the pot along with chicken broth, milk, heavy cream, salt, pepper, and ancho chili powder. Stir well.
• Cook low until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
• Add sour cream and reserved bacon pieces, stir well.
• Allow soup to cook for 15 for minutes before serving.
• Top with additional sour cream, bacon, cheddar cheese, or chives. Enjoy!

Sweetie Pole Tomato

 Days to Maturity: 65 days from transplanting

Family: Solanaceae

Type: Indeterminate, Low Acid, Cherry Tomato

Native: Andes

Hardiness: Frost-sensitive annual

Exposure: Full sun

Plant Dimensions: Vines up to 6' or longer

Variety Info: ¾"–1" round, red tomatoes in large grape-like clusters.

Attributes: Frost Sensitive

When to Sow Outside: For mild climates only: 1 to 2 weeks after your average last frost date, and when soil temperature is at least 60°F.

When to Start Inside: RECOMMENDED. 4 to 6 weeks before transplanting. Transplant when air temperature is 45°F or warmer, usually 1 to 2 weeks after your average last frost date. Ideal soil temperature for germination is 70°–90°F.

Days to Emerge: 5–10 days

Seed Depth: ⅛"

Seed Spacing: A group of 3 seeds every 24"–36"

Row Spacing: 36"

Thinning: When 2" tall, thin to 1 every 24"–36"

Harvesting: Sweetie' tomatoes are at the peak of sun-ripened deliciousness when red, and have a slight give when gently squeezed.