Filter by Listing Categories
Accommodations
Bed & Breakfast
Campgrounds
Hotels
Real Estate
Vacation Rentals
Attractions
Family Friendly
Indoors
On the Water
outdoors
Dining
American
Bakery
Barbecue
Breakfast
Brewery
Burger
catering
chinese
Coffee
Delivery
Fast Food
Ice Cream
Indian
Italian
Japanese
Mexican
Pizza
Sandwiches
Seafood
southern
steak
sushi
Takeout
Thai
Vegetarian and Vegan
vineyards
Wine
Local Services
Rentals - Equipment
Spas, Salons, Barbers, and Massages
Specialty Services
Weddings
Regions
Blue Ridge Highlands
Abingdon
Bristol
Christianburg
Dublin
Floyd
Galax
Meadows of Dan
Pulaski
Radford
Smyth
Wytheville
Central Virginia
Appomattox
Ashland
Blacksburg
Buckingham
Charlottesville
Chester
Chesterfield
Colonial Heights
Doswell
Farmville
Glen Allen
Halifax
Henrico
Hopewell
Lanexa
Louisa
Lynchburg
Maidens
Mechanicsville
Midlothian
Mineral
Petersburg
Radiant
Richmond
Sandston
Wintergreen
Chesapeake Bay
Colonial Beach
Irvington
Kilmarnock
Tappahannock
Urbanna
White Stone
Coastal Virginia | Hampton Roads
Charles City County
Chesapeake
Franklin
Hampton
Newport News
Norfolk
Portsmouth
Smithfield
Southampton
Topping
Virginia Beach
Williamsburg
Yorktown
Eastern Shore
Cape Charles
Chincoteague Island
Onancock
Tangier Island
Heart Of Appalachia
Big Stone Gap
Coeburn
St. Paul
Town Of Tazewell
Northern Virginia
Alexandria
Arlington
Ashburn
Burke
Centreville
Chantilly
Culpeper
Dulles
Dumfries
Fairfax
Falls Church
Fredericksburg
Gainesville
Haymarket
Herndon
Leesburg
Lovettsville
Manassas
McLean
Middleburg
Purcellville
Reston
Spotsylvania
Springfield
Stafford
Sterling
The Plains
Tysons Corner
Vienna
Warrenton
Woodbridge
Shenandoah Valley
Augusta
Berryville
Edinburg
Front Royal
Harrisonburg
Haywood
Lexington
Luray
Madison
Natural Bridge
Paris
Staunton
Vesuvius
Waynesboro
Winchester
Woodstock
Southern Virginia
Chatham
Clarksville
Danville
Emporia
Martinsville
Moneta
South Boston
South Hill
Virginia Mountains
Bath County
Mount Solon
Roanoke
Salem
Shopping
Antiques and Thrift Shops
Clothes
Gifts & More
Grocery
Sports Gear & Outdoor
Sips
Breweries
Distillery
Spirits
Vineyards
Winery
Filter by Listing Tags
Accommodations
Attractions
Breweries
Brewery
Dining
Distillery
Local Services
Shopping
Sips
Vineyard
Wine
Winery
Filter by Categories
Accommodations
All Categories
All News
Attractions
Camping
Camping: Web Exclusive
Cider
Cider News
Cider: Tasting & Reviews
Cider: Web Exclusives
Contests
Best Of
Savor Virginias’ Best
The Remy 1738 Challenge
WIne Classic
Craft Beer
Beer Features
Beer News
Breweries
Craft Beer: People
CRAFT BEER: SPONSORED CONTENT
Craft Beer: Tasting & Reviews
Craft Beer: Web Exclusives
Departments
Editor's Note
Publisher's Note
Dining
Dining Features
Dining: Farm to Table
Dining: Food Finds
Dining: People
Dining: Recipes & Pairings
Dining: Web Exclusives
Distilled Spirits
Distilled Spirits: Features
Distilled Spirits: People
DISTILLED SPIRITS: SPONSORED CONTENT
Distilled Spirits: Tasting & Reviews
Distilled Spirits: Web Exclusives
Distilleries
Distillery News
Distilled Spirits: Cocktail Recipes
Festivals & Events
Getaways
ADVENTURES/ACTIVITIES: SPONSORED CONTENT
Getaways - SavorVA
Getaways: Adventures & Activities
Getaways: Features
GETAWAYS: SPONSORED CONTENT
Getaways: Web Exclusives
Getaways: Weekend Trips
Local Services
Main Editor's Picks
Main Features
large
small
Regions
Blue Ridge Highlands
Blue Ridge Highlands: Features
BLUE RIDGE HIGHLANDS: SPONSORED CONTENT
Blue Ridge Highlands: Web Exclusives
Central Virginia
Central Virginia: Features
CENTRAL VIRGINIA: SPONSORED CONTENT
Central Virginia: Web Exclusives
Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay: Features
CHESAPEAKE BAY: SPONSORED CONTENT
Chesapeake Bay: Web Exclusives
Coastal Virginia-Hampton Roads
Coastal Virginia-Hampton Roads: Features
COASTAL VIRGINIA-HAMPTON ROADS: SPONSORED CONTENT
Coastal Virginia-Hampton Roads: Web Exclusives
Eastern Shore
Eastern Shore: Features
EASTERN SHORE: SPONSORED CONTENT
Eastern Shore: Web Exclusives
Heart Of Appalachia
Heart of Appalachia: Features
HEART OF APPALACHIA: SPONSORED CONTENT
Heart of Appalachia: Web Exclusives
Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia: Features
NORTHERN VIRGINIA: SPONSORED CONTENT
Northern Virginia: Web Exclusives
Shenandoah Valley
Shenandoah Valley: Features
SHENANDOAH VALLEY: SPONSORED CONTENT
Shenandoah Valley: Web Exclusives
Southern Virginia
Southern Virginia: Features
SOUTHERN VIRGINIA: SPONSORED CONTENT
SOUTHERN VIRGINIA: WEB EXCLUSIVE
Southern Virginia: Web Exclusives
Virginia Mountains
Virginia Mountains: Features
VIRGINIA MOUNTAINS: SPONSORED CONTENT
Virginia Mountains: Web Exclusives
Shopping
Shopping: Web Exclusives
Sips
Wine
October Wine Wednesday
Virginia Wine Month
Wine Classic Awards
Wine News
wine trail
211 wine trail
Wine: Features
Wine: People
WINE: SPONSORED CONTENT
Wine: Tasting & Reviews
Wine: Web Exclusives
Wineries
Filter by content type
Custom post types
Taxonomy terms

Playing with Your Food: Charcuterie Boards

Charcuterie Board-The Purple Door

By Rachel Dalton

Pinterest. Instagram. Weddings. Taking up their own endcap at the grocery store. The charcuterie board business is booming right now.

Maybe it’s just a coincidence that these boards began to explode about the same time as the pandemic. They serve as a fun way to eat anything (fun moments are important during a pandemic), a good way to gather and share with your “quaranteam,” and can even be made into single servings for socially distanced gatherings.

The term “charcuterie” refers specifically to the process of curing meat products such as salami, bacon and ham. Most traditional charcuterie boards are spilling over with meats, various types of cheese and other accoutrements. However, themed boards with more eclectic choices are becoming popular as well.

Michelle Ayers, owner of Purple Door Gourmet Kitchen in Lynchburg, has been making charcuterie boards for a decade but has seen their popularity rise this year along with their larger counterpart: the grazing table.

“I have done very large displays as long as 18 feet for an event for 300 people to small trays for two to 20,” she says. “This is my absolute favorite part of my work. I always dreamed of playing with food for a living and now I get to do it every day.”

Food Checklist

Every board is unique, but Ayers says the checklist in her head for a charcuterie board always includes color, texture, flavor and variety.

“Every board needs to have assorted cheeses, cured meat, olives, nuts, chutney, crispy bread and chocolate,” she says.

Personal chef and health coach Megan Current, of The Current Dish, also receives numerous requests for charcuterie boards. She always starts with the “forward points”: the meats and cheeses. From there, Current likes to include local jams and honeys, pickles, olives and fruit. But she will branch out depending on the season or occasion—for example, a caramel dip for apple slices or cake pops for a birthday board.

charcuterie board-The Current Dish
Photo by Megan Current, The Current Dish

Building Your Board

Once you’ve gathered your items comes the trickier part for amateurs. Part of the appeal of a charcuterie board is the way it looks. As Ayers explains: “I believe you eat with your eyes first.”

First, decide what will be your focal point. A brie or goat cheese log works well or use folded meats in a creative way.

Folding or rolling meats will not only allow you to pack more items onto your board, but it also looks nice. Depending on your types of cheeses, mix it up and have one sliced and another cubed, for example. For accoutrements such as olives, fruit or nuts, put some into small bowls and others directly on to the board.

“Rosemary or mint sprigs are a pretty way to fill in any holes and add some greenery,” says Current.

charcuterie board-The Purple Door
Photo by Ashlee Glen, The Purple Door

Better Than Dip

For those with new fitness goals as we head into summer, charcuterie boards can also be a smarter appetizer choice. “You have an option of foods that are whole and less processed, many with single ingredients,” Current says. “Also, it’s so much easier to fill up on these foods compared to something like chips and dip.”

Whether you make your own or let a professional take control, the sky is limit when creating a charcuterie board.

VisitVirginia
Author: VisitVirginia

View Digital Magazine

Festivals & Events

Sponsored Content:

SPONSORED CONTENT

SPONSORED CONTENT

SPONSORED CONTENT

SPONSORED CONTENT

SPONSORED CONTENT