How to Create the Perfect Charcuterie Platter

I have been absolutely obsessed with charcuterie platters lately! They're the perfect option when you're entertaining guests or if you want just a little bit of everything for lunch!

While charcuterie platters typically feature different styles & textures of meat, I chose to make mine vegetarian & am calling it The California Summer! (You could also easily make your platter vegan by opting to use vegan cheese or non-dairy hummus instead!) 

They key to creating the perfect combination of flavors & textures on your platter is to make sure that you have something salty, something sweet, something crunchy, some sort of spread & lots & lots of fruit!

For my plate, I went with:

Salty: Salt & Pepper Pistachios (These nuts pair so well with the strawberries!)

Sweet: Dark Chocolate (Is there any better combination than dark chocolate & blueberries?)

Crunchy: Flaxseed crackers & almonds (Both of these are to die for with the cheese on top!)

Spread: Dorothy's Comeback Cow Cheese (This cheese... let me tell you... I literally couldn't stop eating it! If you haven't tried Dorothy's yet, you'll want to pick some up next time you go shopping!) 

Fruit: Grapes, blueberries, strawberries & avocado (Berries are the perfect option for your charcuterie platter - their flavors pair well with absolutely everything! & the avocado... well, we all know there are few greater flavors in this world than a perfectly ripe avocado! & for next time, I think apple slices would have paired nicely with the cheese & salty nuts too!)

The beauty of the charcuterie format is that you just pick your favorite flavors & textures, arrange it all on a plate & you’re good to go! You can always stick with what you know you like, or branch out & try something new!

What flavors would dominate YOUR charcuterie platter?! Let me know in the comments below! xo Melis