This Valentines Day Charcuterie Board is perfect for what's likely going to be a Covid friendly stay at home date night! Fun and super easy to put together, enjoy it as an appetizer or your main meal. The small board for two is perfect if you're planning a romantic evening alone. The larger board feeds the whole family or 3-4 couples if you're planning a small group couples night with your favorite people!
The History
Charcuterie boards have been in existence for thousands of years. Per corkdining.com The name is derived from the French word chair which means flesh and cuit which means cooked.
Original Charcuterie boards were just prepared with a selection of meats and cheeses.The current modern trend of having fruits, vegetables, nuts and spreads was not a part of these original boards.
Smoked meats were very popular in Ancient Rome about 6000 years ago. It was a way of preserving the meat to eat later and no part of the animal was wasted.These meats were paired with cheese and wine and enjoyed both as an appetizer and main course.
My Story
I've always had a fascination with Charcuterie boards. They're so pretty to look at and tempting to eat. However, I don't eat any pork products so was usually not able to partake in most of what was on a traditional cheese board.
I also found the idea of making a charcuterie board a bit intimidating. I'm not really sure why, they're honestly really easy to make! I finally had an opportunity to attend a cooking class hosted by a local caterer (Lola Fleur) and learn how to put a board together.
She gave excellent tips and ideas for me to make my board without some of the meats I couldn't eat. I've been experimenting with these boards since then and love how versatile they are. I've made them at dinner parties I've hosted, often setting a theme with my guests in mind.
Assorted meat dishes are the norm at most Pakistani social gatherings. Occasionally I'll have a guest who doesn't eat meat and I make a Vegetarian Charcuterie Board to cater to them without having to change my entire menu. Although, to be honest it's been very popular with the meat eaters as well!
The Recipe
I've written the "recipe" if you can call it that below but feel free to change the cheeses and crackers to your favorites. I'll give you some visuals and some direction here to help guide you as you assemble your personal board.
Groceries
When I go grocery shopping I basically have a theme in mind for my Charcuterie Board, in this case Valentines Day. I deliberately went for as many red colored fruits and vegetables as I could find, throwing in a few greens like the cucumber and the darker blackberries for some contrast.
A charcuterie board is all about the visuals so a contrast in colors and shapes is the key. Thus, when choosing the cheeses, I tried to go with a triangular wedge as well as a round. Since I had 2 rounds I cut them and ended up with a semi circle along with an odd shaped brie. A rectangle would have been a good option as well, just cut your own shapes out of whatever cheeses you have on hand.
Paired with a nice variation of chocolates, we had our appetizers, entree and dessert all on one board !
The Board and Accessories
On getting home I gathered a few props to put my boards together. Assorted trays, jars, bowls, whatever I had lying around. Some didn't get used but it's easier to have things on hand as you start assembling, so you can change and move things around. Different sizes, shapes and heights are a good idea to create a pretty layout on your Charcuterie Board.
Food Prep
Next step is to wash, chop and cut whatever you need. I decided to cut some of my veggies lengthwise and put them in the jars. The tomatoes looked so beautiful attached to the vine that I chose to place them directly on the board.
The Halloumi I always like to slice and grill a little. It has such a rich salty flavor, it's a delicious cheese to add to your board.
Arranging The Board
The final and last step is to arrange everything. I usually like to scatter my jars and bowls around the board first and then go in and fill the empty spaces with the remaining fruit, cheeses, crackers and chocolates.
My aim is to group some different items together to get the contrast of colors, shapes and heights. I often move things around as I work till I'm pleased with the final product!
Large Board Serves 6-8 People
Small Board Serves 2
Serve one of these Valentines day Charcuterie Boards with your favorite beverage and you're all set for a romantic evening !
Valentines Day Charcuterie Board
Equipment
- Wooden Board or Tray
- Small bowls
- Small Jars
- Cheese knives and Spreaders
- Small Spoons
- Toothpicks
Ingredients
Large Charcuterie Board
- ¾ Round Brie
- 1 Wedge Ghost Pepper Cheese
- 1 Semi circle Mango Habanero Cheese
- ½ Red Bell Pepper
- 1 Mini Cucumber
- 1 Bunch Small Vine Tomatoes
- ½ Cup Marinated Red Sweet Peppers
- ½ Cup Roasted Garlic Cloves
- 1 Small Package Strawberries
- 1 Small Package Blackberries
- ½ Cup Spicy Peanuts
- ½ Cup Salted Shelled Pistachios
- 1 Small Toblerone
- ½ Small Package Hershey's Golden Nuggets
- 1 Small Package Dark Chocolate Almond Bark
- ¼ Cup Cranberry Pomegranate Sauce SEE NOTE
- ½ Package Carr's Water Crackers
- ½ Package Bruschetta Toast
Small Charcuterie Board
- ¼ Red Bell pepper
- 6 Vine Ripened Tomatoes
- ½ Cup Raspberries
- ½ Block Haloumi Cheese
- ? Cup Ricotta SEE NOTE
- 2 tsp honey
- ½ tsp red chili flakes
- 4-6 Slices Mini Pumpernickel Toast
- 1 Package Carr's Water Crackers
- 1 Small Square Ritter Sport Marzipan Chocolate
- ½ Small Package Hershey's Golden Nuggets
- ½ Package Savory Biscotti
Instructions
Large Charcuterie Board
- Cut your cheeses into the assorted shapes if needed and scatter on the board
- Scoop some of the cranberry sauce onto the brie
- Deseed and slice the bell pepper into long strips.
- Cut the cucumber (with skin on) into long strips
- Wash and prep all fruit as needed
- Cut the Toblerone into triangles
- Place the vegetables in small jars and place on a large board
- Scoop out the marinated peppers, roasted garlic and nuts into assorted small cups
- Place all jars and cups at various locations on the board
- Lay out the chocolate, berries, tomatoes and crackers in between these containers till the board is full
- Place spreaders, cheese knives, spoons and toothpicks as needed
Small Charcuterie Board
- Slice the haloumi and grill with a little bit of olive oil, place in a small jar
- Scoop out the ricotta into a bowl, pour 2 teaspoons of honey and gently swirl in with the tip of the spoon and sprinkle with chili pepper flakes
- Put the sliced peppers and tomatoes in a small bowl
- Cut the marzipan chocolate into small squares
- Wash and put the raspberries in a bowl
- Place the savory biscotti in a jar
- Scatter the jars and bowls on a small board
- Fill up the remaining space with crackers, bread and chocolate
- Put needed spreaders, toothpicks and spoons and enjoy!
Nutrition
Notes:
- I used my orange-pomegranate-cranberry-sauce that I made and froze over Thanksgiving. It's perfect on brie and the red color was just right for Valentines day. Any store-bought red spread would work just as well in it's place.
- For the Ricotta I scooped out ¼ cup of the cheese in a bowl, added the honey and just gently swirled it in and topped it with a sprinkle of the red pepper on top. Sweet with a little kick at the end... It was delicious!
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