Fall Charcuterie | Tips For Making Beautiful Boards This Season
Fall in love with the season of grazing - delicious, warm flavors that make for incredibly beautiful boards and the excitement of the holidays ahead brings an energy I find to be completely thrilling. I LOVE how we tend to migrate in towards the kitchen and hearty, comforting meals packed with delicious cheeses, seasonal produce like butternut squash, pumpkin spice, cranberries & cinnamon, apple, and luscious baked cheeses in puff pastry and beyond... Geez, what are you all doin' to me??????
FALL
GRAZING
BOARDS &
CHARCUTERIE TIPS
If you are looking for some fun ideas to spruce up your FALL CHARCUTERIE BOARDS - I've got you covered. This time of year always brings a ton of parties which means you need to have an arsenal of delicious party food recipes to share and wow these peeps! Am I right? I am a creative - if you didn't already know that - which means I strugggggggle hard to make the same thing twice. I find it can be fun to take an old recipe and make it new simply by swapping out a few key ingredients, or even just ONE thing. Think about that when you create you charcuterie boards When it comes to Fall recipes and boards, its all about incorporating elements that remind us of the fall season and include delicious Seasonal produce, holiday treats, and special decorative touches to really push the Autumn theme. Here are some fun ideas to get you inspired to create your own gorgeous creations.
#1 - ADD PUMPKINS, & OTHER GOURDS
You can add mini pumpkins directly to your boards for a festive touch - I see them all the time outside of Trader Joe's around this time of year and at all the lovely local Pumpkin patches. We LOVE to enjoy the pumpkin patch with our kids at least once per season, and while we don't carve them anymore for Halloween for spiritual reasons - I will use them for decorating around my table, on my boards, or use them to hold delish dips! What's nice about not carving them is they last much longer!
I absolutely loved this fun trend that came out of social media in Fall 2021 using a gourd to hold dip. FLIPPING GENIUS! Here this acorn squash is filled with a Roasted Red Pepper Hummus for a gorgeous Fall touch on this fun board I made while I auditioned for the grazing competition show I appeared on for Cooking Channel / Discovery+. You can see the episode HERE.
Hey why not just make your own Butter Pumpkin to add to your grazing table?
#2 - INCLUDE SEASONAL PRODUCE
Charcuterie Boards are pretty much always going to include a gorg array of artisan cheeses, savory dips, & sensational pairings like fruit spread, honey, and typically have cured meats, pickled/briny tings like olives & pickles, nuts, dried fruit, and lots of bread/crackers. They ALSO include produce and you are going to want to choose wisely. I have to admit, in the past, I didn't fully understand how important it is to select produce that is "in season", local as often as I can afford or get to, and ensure it is washed/stored properly. Now as a Mom, I find I am much more concerned about what I give to my kids vs what I may have been ok with personally eating in the past. I find I learn SO much from my friends on Instagram who have hacks and quick videos on this topic. Check out my friend Nicole @itsnicolejaques discussing how to wash and store BERRIES.
Here's a list of Seasonal Produce you could definitely be adding to your boards this Fall. Try incorporating these both fresh AND cooked into your spreads.
"B U T T E R H A V E M Y B U T T E R N U T" - Me
FALL PRODUCE TO ADD
TO YOUR
CHARCUTERIE & GRAZING BOARDS
APPLES
GRAPES
FIGS
PEARS
PERSIMMON
POMEGRANATE
PUMPKINS
SQUASHES
BEETS
CARROTS
ARUGULA
BRUSSELS SPROUTS
GREEN BEANS
ZUCCHINI
SWEET POTATOES
#3 - SHOW OFF YOUR FALL DECOR & STYLING SKILLS
If you are a CHARCUTERIE BUSINESS - I highly recommend coming up with a color scheme and plan out how you want our fall boards to look for your customers before you shop for anything yet (you KNOW you don't NEED all that stuff, sis!).
Maybe this year you want to go with Purple and Orange like I did 2 years ago OR you like to keep your boards to the usual orangey/reddish/brown tones we normally see this time of year. You can create those vibes through the decor and ingredients you chose to use on your boards so show off your styling skills and come up with a gorgeous theme that your clients will absolutely love. Here are some ideas for elevating your boards -
THE BOARD ITSELF - Ok so there are TONS of fun board shapes out there nowadays and I highly recommend snagging a couple that inspire you ( I love a good fun SHAPE as much as the next lady) but you really don't need anything fancy to come up with a festive board that will get your guests in the mood for Fall food.
Try a simple Pumpkin Shape or perhaps an Apple or a Leaf - check out this gorgeous Leaf Board I got from Left Coast Originals below that I ABSOLUTELY ADORE!
Use my code PLATTERGIRL for 15% off HERE
THE SWEET TREATS - Cookies, candies, chocolates, gummies, and other pastries are usually my GO TO when it comes to helping me nail a themed board. Local bakeries often have seasonal items you can purchase in bulk to use on your platters so look around and reach out. You can also easily make tons of your own fall treats like marshmallow treats, special cookies and mini cakes or cupcakes, dipped strawberries and other fruits, and/or delish popcorns packed with Fall snacks and candies. Check out those cool leaf chocolates made by my friend Karin @myfavoritesweetsfavors
If you made it this far I want you to know that I am proud of you! As a thank you, here's a bunch of my favorite FALL RECIPES you can add to your tables and meal rotation.
XO,
Lea
