Meal Ideas: Charcuterie

Want something quick for dinner that looks super duper fancy? Why not try a charcuterie board? It's a good way to clean out your fridge, too!
First, throw some bread, buns, crackers, or any other starch on the board. I went with a ciabatta roll, some sourdough, and wheat thins. You know, to be fancy. If my kids had their way, it would have been saltines and Ritz crackers which would have been FINE.
Have some lunchmeat? Add some of that, too! I had some prosciutto, genoa salami, and sausage. I had some roast beef in the fridge that I was tempted to add, but I was running out of room and decided to go the classic route.
Cheese is a definite must. It's nice to have a soft cheese (I did a double cream brie), and harder cheeses (I added a spiced gouda), and honestly, I was not feeling like slicing a lot of stuff, so I threw some cheese curds on as well. It all works! C'est la vie!

Now that you have your basics, go wild with colour and flavour! I grabbed a specialty mustard and fig tapenade from a local store, but dijon from your fridge would be a great choice. I added pear, plum, clementines, grapes, cucumber, and grape tomatoes for some fresh, clean flavour. Olives are another charcuterie favourite, so feel free to add some, along with any other pickled vegetable that you enjoy.
Your charcuterie board is mostly filled up now, so go ahead and fill in the blanks with nuts, seeds, and dried fruits you have in your baking cupboards. I went with dried apricots and a blend with sunflower seeds, cashews, almonds, and raisins.

Finally, for the piece de resistance, I added a medley of micro greens. Peas as a hearty garnish, radish on the gouda, broccoli brassica blend on the brie, and sunflowers, well, everywhere!
Your board looks like you worked for ages to perfect this look! You have a mountain of flavour, jam packed with nutrients. You can feast like kings!
What would you add to your charcuterie board?
.maple cutting board by Paul's Bored in Dawson Creek, purchased at Simple Pleasures
.wildcraft mustard courtesy of Vintage Restoration Love
.petite maison tapenade purchased at Vintage Restoration Love
.meats and spiced gouda purchased at Lawrence's Butcher Block