Cheeses:

I offer a variety of good quality cheeses that include:

  • Hard Cheese, such as Parmesan, Aged Cheddar, Manchego and/or Romano

  • Semi-Firm Cheese, such as Gouda, Muenster, Cheddar jack cheese.

  • Soft Cheese: Brie, Burrata, Stracchino and mascarpone. Soft cheeses are creamy and spreadable.

  • Crumbly Cheeses: Goat Cheese, Feta, and/or Ricotta Salata.

  • Blue Cheese: Gorgonzola or marbled blue

FYI:

  • Brie: a creamy rich and luxurious texture that goes very well with honey

  • Gouda; the national treasure of Netherland with sweet taste and semi-hard texture. My Charcuteries mix Smoked Gouda that is buttery with slightly sweet caramel undertone, aged and other Gouda with mild flavors.

  • Aged Cheeses, Cheddar: a firm, crumbly texture with earthy tones. Pairs very well with grapes

  • Aged parmesan goes very well with prosciutto, cantaloupe and figs (fresh, dry, jam).

  • Aged Gouda, a mix of salty and sweet flavor with a strong sense of butterscotch. Pairs well with mustard, and apples. In Netherland, aged Gouda is often served with a sprinkle of sugar or apple syrup.

  • Manchego; It's fruity and balanced with a semi-soft texture, and pairs so well with sweet and savory accompaniments. Manchego is a great starting point for people new to the cheese game.

  • Asiago; a medium texture with a delicate sweet and sour flavor and buttery aroma. Best combined with salami, fruits, Italian red wines, and ciders.

Each charcuterie board has 2-8 types of cheeses depending on the size of the board.

Cured Meat:

I offer a great selection of cured meats that bring a great balance of taste, texture and flavor to the charcuterie boards.

  • Soppressata, Italian dry salami that pairs very well with soft cheese

  • Prosciutto. This salty, silky meat pairs very well with fresh mozzarella or burrata, and Parmesan.

  • Saucisson Sec: Is a great entry-level, basic to get used to the mix flavors of charcuterie boards. Pairs well with soft cheeses, dried fruits like apricots, nuts and also Dijon mustard. 

  • Genoa Salami:  It’s very similar to sopressata though it’s softer and greasier and often made with both pork and veal. Serve with Brie or a semi-hard cheese like Gouda.

  • Mortadella:  Adds a cross-section of flavor and a colorful, marbled look to the charcuterie boards. Serve with fruits, veggies, such as tomatoes, and red bell pepper.

  • Spanish Chorizo: pairs well with hard cheeses like Manchego or creamy goat cheese.

  • Rillettes: I like pairing rillettes slathered on a slice of bread with cornichons for an acidic contrast garnished with fresh herbs.

Other meats: Smoked dried beef, corned beef, high quality chicken, and artisanal ham are crowd-pleasers that have a deserve spot on my nice charcuterie boards.

*Each board includes 2-8 types of meats based on the size.

Breads and Crackers:

I offer a variety of different textures, flavors, shapes, and size of breads and crackers, such as Ciabatta, rye bread, artisan, and/or toasted crostini, also, a selection of hearty/healthy crackers and breadsticks

Breads are best for dips and spreads while crackers are best for cheese and meat.

Dried Fruits:

  • Dates, figs, apricots, kiwis, mangos, and passion fruits.

  • Dried fruits pair very well with nutty and grassy cheeses such as aged cheddar, and Gouda.

  • Raisins pair with aged cheddar. Dates are best friends with nuts and apricot goes well with goat cheese and aged cheese.

  • Wrapping grapes or dates or dried apricots in the meats gives you a delicious combination of sweet and savory and a chewy bite.

Nuts:

Gourmet Almonds, cashews, pistachios, pecans, and walnuts all work well with various cheese pairings.

Nuts complement the other charcuterie items well and offer a variety of savory, gourmet flavor options. They provide so much crunch to the charcuterie boards. Nuts, cheeses, and grapes are the best companions.

Crudités, Vegetables:

In addition to olives and pickles, artichokes, cucumbers, bell pepper, and sweet cherry-red peppers are crowd-pleasers, adding so much color to the charcuterie boards.

Fresh Fruits:

Fruits provide so much color and brightness to the charcuterie boards

Fresh Fruit, such as sliced apples and pears, grapes and berries will all complement a variety of

cheeses. Apples and pears can serve as a tasty stand in for baguette slices, as they pair well

with numerous cured meats, cheeses and nuts. Sweet grapes are best friends to cheeses.

Cornichons:

Their tart, mildly sweet flavor makes them the ideal garnish to serve with all charcuterie items. Cornichons take the charcuterie boards to a whole new level.

Olives:

I offer a variety of olives, such as kalamata, luque, picholine, and cerignola. Olives are super meaty, buttery, and have a mild saltines similar to parmesan. Olives pair very well with most types of cheeses.

Seal-the-Deal with Honey, Jams, and Fruit Spreads:

  • Organic, raw honey, fig, and apricot jams, apple butter, berry preserves and other fruit spreads

  • Adding a raw honeycomb or a scoop of fruit spread to your plate adds a layer of freshness to each bite and balances the savory bite.

  • Mustards. Whole-grain mustard, honey and/or Dijon mustard. Mustard stands up to different cheese flavors and textures, such goat cheese, young and crumbly aged cheddar.

Create the Best Contrasting Bite

  • Pair a thinly sliced meat (like prosciutto) with something a bit denser (like a salami) and something more spreadable and creamy (like brie). Add accoutrements that are crunchy (nuts and pickles) and chewy (dried fruit), a few grapes and drizzle with honey or a scoop of fig jam.

The right mix of sweet, salty, fatty and briny creates flavor layering to satisfy all taste buds.