Having or attending a Halloween party or “Friends-Giving?” Be the star of the party by presenting guests with an elegant charcuterie board filled with fall flavors.
Charcuterie boards typically feature cured meat such as Prosciutto (uncooked dry Italian ham), Soppressata (dry salami), Calabrese (spicy salami), Mortadella (large round sausage studded with white pork fat and pistachio pieces) and Genoa salami (cured with vinegar, celery powder and sea salt).
Cured meat is believed to date back to medieval times, when butchers would salt cuts of meat to draw water out of the meat, slowing the growth of microorganisms that cause harmful bacteria. The curing process allowed people to keep the cured meat for long periods of time without refrigeration. It also meant that cured meat could feed sailors on long voyages or armies going off to war.
“Charcuterie” is French for “cooked flesh” and derives from the French word for the person who prepares the cured meats that are presented on the board – charcutier, or “pork butcher.”
“Charcuterie” was used in reference to the cured meats themselves, but over time the word became synonymous with the presentation of the meat, with charcutiers trying to out-do each other with impressive arrangements.
Now, charcuterie is almost exclusively recognized as being presented beautiful wooden boards. Charcuterie boards have evolved to include cheese, vegetables, fruit, nuts, bread, crackers, spreads, condiments, jams and jellies.
In addition to cured meat, the charcuterie board can feature a variety of cheeses such as baked Brie, goat cheese, any aged or hard cheese, cubed or sliced cheese, etc. Be sure to include olives and pickles to balance the meat and cheese with some tartness.
Susan Vander Maas is a graduate of Ohio State University/ATI Wooster. She is the owner of Doc’s Deli, established in 2007.
Grapes are always good on the charcuterie board, but if you are designing a fall board be sure to include fall fruit such as sliced apples and pears, dried figs and dates. Nuts are a good addition as well.
Bread and crackers round out the charcuterie board. Any specialty bread such as olive bread, sourdough, pumpernickel or baguette is great. Cut into bite sized pieces for easy handling. Crackers, plain or flavored, also work great on a charcuterie board. Add some specialty jam, condiments and spreadable cheese to use with the bread or crackers.
Get creative with your Halloween presentation by adding Halloween decorations to your board. Small decorations such as Jack-O-Lanterns, toy spiders, skeleton hands and eyeballs add some whimsy to the board. Perhaps include small Halloween cookies, mini donuts, candy corn, caramel corn or Halloween colored M&M’s for a touch of sweetness.
For the fall-themed charcuterie board, use small pumpkins or gourds, fall-colored leaves and flowers, or even branches with fall berries set around the board. Use ginger snaps, pumpkin spice snickerdoodles or leaf-shaped sugar cookies for sweetness.
Have fun in the kitchen!
