Like many people locked up inside during this difficult period, I am doing the best I can to make life at home interesting. One way this has manifested is in my newfound obsession with creating my own cheese and charcuterie board.
I have always loved boards, but never had the vision for how to make one. The lack of skill for me was one of taste and design. What pairs well together? How do you plate it in an interesting manner? These thought were in my head for years but the pandemic seemed to promise both the time and motivation to embark on home-making projects.
What ended up transpiring is that I had the motivation, but not the time (I have since only made one real board).
First order of business was to follow every Instagram board producer out there. Next was to purchase “This Cheese Board Will Change Your Life” which proved to be just as amazing as promised. Just seeing examples of her simple steps helped breakdown the art of the cheeseboard in a much more approachable way.
Next I ordered some supplies – spreading knives, ramekins, honey dipper sticks, and cheese tools, then set out to have an indoor picnic.
Despite this being call a cheese “board” craze, I never intended to use an actual board – I want my board to be portable, for real picnics, so I made a cheese and charcuterie bento.
The Japanese bento boxes are the perfect size and depth for portable cheese boards, and I confirmed that one layer of bento had just the right amount of space for a one-person board.
Featured in this cheese Board/Bento:
Cheese
Humbolt Fog Goat Cheese
Manchego
Meat
Prosciutto
Coppa
Nuts
Pistachios
Marcona almonds
2 kinds of Crackers
Jam
Fig Jam
Blackberry lavender jam
Fruit
Tangerines
Grapes
Pickles and Olives
Break and Butter pickles
Pickled red onion (homemade)
3 kinds of olives
It was my first board and I know it is not as beautiful as the ones in her pictures, but it was my first attempt and it made a fantastic dinner – so I’m pleased!
And with the leftovers...
