In The K tchen When In Doubt, Graze It Out

Dini Klein

The best contribution to a party or dinner table is a grazing board. They’re very simple to make and visually pleasing to the eye. A grazing board, when done right, looks like an exquisite work of art, when in reality, it takes 10 minutes or less to assemble.

The three most important rules to follow when making a charcuterie board are presentation, presentation, and presentation. There are very few rules when it comes to what does or does not belong on the board. Anything works, it’s all about how you present it.

Below are three presentation rules I make sure to follow when creating my grazing boards.

RULE NUMBER 1: Variety. You’ll need a variety of flavors, colors, textures, and shapes on your board. Whether that’s different shapes of sliced meat, bunches of grapes, or cracker sizes, try to make sure there is a good variety of all shapes and colors on the board. When it comes to the main item on the board, I like to go with the rule of “the odds.” If you are doing a cheese board, put down an odd number of cheese varieties to help build out the “deconstructed” effect. The odd number allows you to give it that feel.

Try it out for yourself!

RULE NUMBER 2: Fillers and added touches.

Nuts, seeds, berries, chocolate chips, capers, and dried fruits fit this role. They’re not just fillers, they are board elevators, and they are also what gets easily snacked on. Add these touches at the end to help fill in blank spots, and jazz up sections of the board.

RULE NUMBER 3: For an added touch, make it themed. I love to serve themed dinners on a board to my family. Taco night is prime time for a grazing board. I put all the taco bar fixings on a board and allow my kids to serve themselves. It’s a fun changeup to dinner and the kids feel like they are choosing what’s for dinner when you are really in the driver’s seat, and giving them the choices :)

Here is what I typically serve on my taco board:

Taco shells

Almond flour tortillas

Shredded chicken, meat, or vegan fajita filling

Small bowl of guacamole

Small bowl with salsa

Shredded lettuce

Cheese or vegan cheese

Beans

Hot sauce

Jalapenos and/or pickled vegetables

*Shop the Prep + Rally Board (pictured here) on Amazon!

Finally