Summer Charcuterie Board Spread

Now that we are getting back together with friends and family it’s time to bust out the summer spreads! This Summer Charcuterie Board Spread is filled with all our favorites and plenty of seasonal sweet fruits. There is an art and creativity to building out a cheese board, have fun with it and make it your own! If you’ve never done it before, we are here to help with options, substitutions and a little bit of the how-to.

The grocery list.

• Manchego 
• Sharp cheddar
• Goat cheese
• Brie
• Sourdough flatbread cracker
• Raisin rosemary crisps
• Traditional water crackers
• Nectarine
• Apple
• Cherry
• Smoked Almonds
• Honey Sesame Cashews
• Fig Jam
• Honey
• Prosciutto 
• Salami
• Capocollo

The cheese board basics.

Here are some tips to consider when shopping for and putting together your board: 

Hit all the salty, savory and sweet flavor notes.

When you think of charcuterie, your mind probably goes straight to salty and savory. Oftentimes, sweet is completely neglected. Make sure to include some sweet items in your cheese board to offset the saltiness of the cheese and crackers. This may sound difficult, but there are many aspects of the board that could adopt a sweet item. 

• Cracker: Oat cakes are so delicious and pair well with any cheese. My favorite cheese and cracker combo is oat cakes and any kind of really salty, spreadable cheese, like a pub cheese or port wine. 
• Cheese: Variety in flavor and texture is important when selecting cheese. There are options for soft, semi-soft, semi-firm and firm as well as subtle and bold flavor options.
• Fruit: Always include fruit in your charcuterie board!! Sliced apples or pears taste great with sharp cheddar, and a small bunch of grapes or cherries looks pretty placed on your board.
• Spread: Jam is delicious with cheese!
• Snacks: Nuts are a great addition to a cheese board. For a sweet option, include a candied or honey roasted nut. 

Variety is the spice of life.

Don’t get multiple things that are similar, like more than one type of cheddar or plain crackers. Go outside of your comfort zone when shopping for a charcuterie board, be adventurous! If you shop at Whole Foods, their cheese section usually has a cheese professional – don’t hesitate to ask them for help! 

Mix and match.

Choose crackers that go well with more than one cheese and vice versa!

Placement is key!

Place food items that pair well adjacent to each other on your board so your guests don’t have to think too hard about what they’re eating!

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How-to shop for a Summer Charcuterie Board Spread.

Shopping for a charcuterie board can be overwhelming, as there are seemingly endless different delicious items to choose from in most grocery store cheese sections. I think the easiest way to break up a charcuterie board is into categories, and there are certain categories of things you NEED on your charcuterie board: crackers, cheeses, meats, fruits, nuts/snacks and spreads. Hopefully, breaking up your board into sections will provide some guidance to your shopping trip! 

Crackers:

Always make sure to purchase at least a few different crackers. Have at least one plain – a water cracker or a buttery round cracker – that can easily be paired with any cheese or meat on your board. Next, choose something that has its own distinct flavor, like a pepper cracker, something with dried fruit or nuts or an herb cracker. Crackers such as these usually taste best with a simple cheese such as goat cheese. Having a solid variety of quality crackers is important. You may just think of them as a vessel for meats, cheeses and spreads, but good crackers can bring your spread to the next level. 

Cheeses:

There are so many different cheeses you could include on your charcuterie board! What cheeses you end up buying really comes down to preference, but there are a few I think you should definitely include. A simple cheese like cheddar is necessary for your cheese board. This usually can be paired with anything else on the board and will taste great! Soft cheeses like brie or camembert are also a must-have! It’s a more distinct taste than cheddar still easily paired with most things. I think they go great with anything sweet, especially with some drizzled honey. Finally, choose some strong cheeses, ones with intense flavors. My board included goat cheese and manchego. There are many cheeses that fall outside of these guidelines, so oftentimes I just buy whatever I think looks good at the moment! 

Meats:

There are a few meats that are best for charcuterie boards. Select items that can be easily placed onto a cracker or popped right into your mouth! This is another instance where you have to follow your own personal preference, but I think salty meats pair best with cheese and crackers. For my board, I bought prosciutto, salami and capocollo. 

Fruits:

I think every spread needs at least one fruit. It depends on what is in season, so browse your produce section and buy whatever looks best! For mine, I added sliced apples and nectarines, and cherries. The apples and nectarines are great paired with cheese or eaten on their own. Cherries can be placed directly on the board or in a small dish and eaten as a palette cleanser between bites of cheese and crackers. Have fun with placement on your board! Maybe fan out your apple slices to make them look like a flower with a cherry in the middle, it’s all up to you as the cheese board’s artist! 

Snacks:

There’s really no end to things you can include. Many often opt for salty foods such as olives or gherkins, but you can also include things like nuts. Consider including things that are easy to eat and can be done in one bite. For my board, I chose smoked almonds and honey sesame cashews. 

Spreads:

These are things that can elevate your board, but are often overlooked. Honey (which I chose to include), for example, is SO delicious drizzled on a cracker with cheese, but many wouldn’t think to add it to their board. If you want an A+ cheese board, get some spreads!! In addition to honey, my board includes fig jam.

The best thing about this Summer Charcuterie Board Spread is there is no cooking involved! They are so easy and are perfect for hungry guests to nibble on before the main course. Don’t stress when crafting your delicious spread, have fun with it! 

Looking for more simple snacks?

Here are a few to try:

CHERRY & CHERRY TOMATO CAPRESE

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT STUFFED DATES

BAKED BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP

Lastly, if you make this Summer Charcuterie Board Spread recipe, be sure to leave a comment! Above all, I love to hear from ya’ll and do my best to respond to every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of your dayyyummm good recreations is my favorite!

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