Tips to Create a Charcuterie Board:

• Select a flat, food-safe platter or wood board the right size to make a full-looking board suited for the number of guests.
• Keep the grazing interesting by combining complementary yet contrasting flavors, colors and textures such as crunchy nuts, creamy dips and spreads (jams, mustards, honey, chutney) briny olives and cornichons and smoky cured meats. Some favorite fruits & veggies  are berries, grapes, dried apricots, dried cherries, figs, apples, pears, cucumbers, carrots, broccoli & cauliflower, bell peppers, sugar snap peas and radishes.
• Make the food easy to access by pre-slicing meat, cheese and fruit, cutting grapes into mini clusters, creating small skewers, providing plenty of single-use picks and arranging food in different directions so it looks appealing and is easily accessible from all angles.
• Offer a variety of cheeses with different textures (soft, semi soft, semi hard, hard) and milk sources (cow, sheep, goat and even plant-based). For optimal flavor, remove cheese from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving.
• Offer a range of crackers & bread slices such as pita wedges, flatbread crackers, baguette slices, bread sticks and crostini.
• Finish with hardy fillers and garnishes. After arranging the board, fill in any empty spaces by adding color and texture with items that wont wilt or turn color such as sprigs of rosemary and thyme and citrus wedges.