First of all, start by placing down round items such as jars and ramekins that are filled with jams, preserves, olives, pickles, honey. The number and size will depend on the size of your board. Make sure to place any food that has an oil or water base in the ramekins as this will help avoid other foods getting soggy.

Place large items next on the charcuterie board such as grapes or larger items of fruit.

Place the cheese on the board from largest to smallest by starting with the blocks and wedges and finish with the slices. You can choose 1 hard, 1 semi soft, and 1 soft cheeses. Blue cheese, goat cheese, aged cheddar, Gouda, cheese curds, Boursin, Smoked mozzarella, Brie wheel, Havarti, Asiago, and Manchego are some great choices. I decided to make a heart jam Brie wheel cheese the centrepiece of my charcuterie board.

Cut firm cheese in triangles and line up side by side, one side slightly on top of the other, or stack one after the other in opposite directions. I like to line up the hard cheese on the edge of the board. If you place a block or a wedge that is not sliced, place a butter knife by it to help dig in. For soft cheeses, wedge a small knife or butter knife in them for serving.

After the jars, large pieces, and cheese are in place, use these anchors as guides to place your meat. This will make it easier to create and add the salami rose. You can use any cured meat that you like to put on the charcuterie board. Genoa salami, Nola salami, Peppered salami, Soppressata, and Prosciutto are great choices for a charcuterie. It’s best to slice and fold the cured meats. Prosciutto is so thin that I just rolled it or drop it like a ribbon on the board. For Genoa salami, you can make a salami rose or fold them into quarters and fan them out like a deck of cards. Hard cured meat like Kalbassa Sausage should be sliced into thin rounds. Cut the pâté using a large metal heart cookie cutter.

Now is the time to start filling the gaps on your charcuterie board! Start with fruits, nuts, and crackers. Berries are an obvious colourful choice. If you have any anchors open, stack or lean your crackers up against. Dried fruits such as apricots and oranges are easy and accessible year round. You can also add my favourite food such as heart hot chocolate bombs, chocolate pieces, and chocolate dipped strawberries!

Last, but not least, garnish with fresh herbs such as sage or rosemary. It adds a pop of colour and a beautiful aesthetic. You can also add edible flowers.