Written by: Mikayla Coleman

It’s spring, which means it is the perfect time to entertain and treat oneself with the most versatile and easily-shareable spread — the charcuterie board. Use the list below to construct and tailor one’s dream charcuterie board. 

Cheese — Make sure that one’s cheese choices are well-rounded. One should choose from the many different textures of cheese —including soft, semi-soft and hard. Some soft cheeses to choose from include Brie, mozzarella, ricotta, feta, Gorgonzola, Bleu or goat cheese. Some semi-soft cheeses include cheddar, havarti, Monterey Jack, Muenster, provolone and Gouda. Hard cheeses include Asiago, Parmesan and Parmigiano-Reggiano. 

Meats — Meat can make a great pair with many of the foods included on the board. Prosciutto, salami, turkey, ham, pepperoni or bacon are some great choices — experiment with different flavors and spices of one’s favorite meats. 

Fruits and Vegetables — Some great fruit options include strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, apples or pears. Sometimes including a dried version of a fruit can give a refreshing texture change along with fresh fruit, like dried apricots, mango, cranberries or raisins. Some good vegetables to consider include olives, mini bell peppers, cucumbers, pepperoncini or pickles. 

There are many creative ways to cut one’s fruits and vegetables to get a picture-perfect board. 

Nuts — Add some diversity to one’s board by including a variety of almonds, cashews, peanuts, sunflower seeds, pecans, hazelnuts or pistachios. One can choose to include raw, candied or salted nuts, or spice it up by adding nuts with different seasonings. Trader Joe’s has a “Everything But the Bagel Nut Duo” that has cashews and almonds seasoned with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sea salt, garlic and onion — it truly hits the spot. 

Crackers and Bread — Some great bread choices include sliced rye, sourdough or french baguette. There are a plethora of different crackers to choose from, one might have a favorite brand to fall back on such as Ritz or Club crackers. My personal favorite is Trader Joe’s Pita Bite Crackers. To be inclusive with one’s cracker choices, think about including gluten-free options, such as Simple Mills Rosemary Almond Flour Crackers. 

Spreads and Dips — Include a variety of different spreads to dip one’s favorite items in such as fruit spreads, hummus, hot honey or almond butter. 

Contact the author at howleditor@wou.edu