How to Build a Beautiful Board
I love making a vibrant board with a variety of vegetables, fruit, cheese, charcuterie, crackers, bread, and other goodies. It’s ideal for entertaining because everyone can pick and choose what they want. It’s colorful, full of different flavors and textures, and pretty to look at:)
This board-building 101 post will guide you through making a beautiful board that can serve as an appetizer or be the centerpiece of your next party. If you’re interested in throwing a dinner party or get-together, be sure to check out this blog post.
Choose your surface
If the board will be an appetizer or if you are bringing it to someone else’s house, I recommend using a large wooden cutting board as your canvas.
I also like throwing dinner parties where the board is the main meal (maybe I’ll also make/buy dessert). If this is the case, I’ll first put plastic wrap over a table (I used my coffee table as pictured above) and then I’ll line it with two long pieces of parchment paper. Then, I’ll place all my ingredients straight onto the parchment.
Prep your produce
Grocery stores, especially Trader Joe’s, have a ton of great pre-washed and/or cut veggies. I also like seeing what’s in season at my local farmer’s market. Your veggies don’t all need to be raw; in fact, I prefer having a combination of raw and cooked veg. I’ll add in some fresh fruit that pairs well with cheese like apples, figs, and grapes.
IDEAS:
-carrots
-persian cucumber
-jicama
-radish
-snap peas
-tomatoes
-endive
-little gem lettuce
-fennel
-blanched broccoli
-blanched green beans
-blanched asparagus
-roasted sweet potato discs
-roasted beets
-grapes
-figs
-apples
-stone fruit
-berries
-cherries
-gooseberries
Make or buy dips, spreads, or bites
IDEAS:
-hummus, beet hummus, cilantro hummus
-guacamole
-pesto
-olive tapenade
-babaganoush
-muhammara
-tzatziki
Choose your cheese and charcuterie
I like to stick to 2-4 cheeses and 1-2 meats depending on the size of the board.
IDEAS:
-shards of parmesan
-goat cheese
-brie
-manchego
-comté
-pepper salami
-prosciutto
Buy bread and crackers
Again, the number I buy depends on how many people the board will be serving.
IDEAS:
-sliced and toasted baguette
-dried fruit and nut bread
-sourdough bread
Add any accompaniments
These are flavor boosters. They tie everything together and make for the perfect bite.
IDEAS:
-olives
-cornichons
-butter with flakey sea salt
-good olive oil
-honey
-dried fruit
-nuts