Are you sick of your teen always snapping pics or taking videos for their social media instead of spending time with you? Want a great way to engage with your teen while teaching them some skills in the kitchen?
The answer to your problems is: The Charcuterie Board
These things were (I honestly think literally) created to see who could get the most Instagram likes. They are beautiful to look at and even more beautiful to consume. Make sure to give your teen time to get the perfect shot before digging in!
Charcuterie boards are really all about creativity—combining together whatever combinations of ingredients you can scrounge together. They often include: meats, pickled items, cheeses, fruits, nuts, jams, olives and veggies. They are like snowflakes; no two are the same.
Here are a few pointers I’ve learned as I’ve dabbled in the art of Charcuterie:
1. Shop Local
We have so many little stores in Cortland County that offer unique, local goods that work perfectly for charcuterie boards. After a recent hike, I stopped at Trinity Valley in Homer to grab some quick charcuterie ingredients including; pickled veggies, cheese curd, summer sausage, and crackers.
There is also Anderson’s Farm Market in Homer, The Local Food Market in Cortland, and Hollenbeck’s Cider Mill in Virgil.
Bonus: your teen will love to brag about their local goods on social media and you get to support a local business in tough economic times.
2. Have Variety
The more colors, textures, and flavors you incorporate into your board the more satisfying it will be to eat (and the more beautiful to photograph). Lighter ingredients like cucumber or cherry tomatoes are a nice relief from the heaviness of meats and cheeses. Make sure to incorporate something sweet like dried fruit or jam.
3. Don’t Leave Empty Space
You can use pretty much any type of board, container, or pan to make charcuterie. I’ve used anything from a cutting board to a baking pan. The most important thing to remember is to not leave any space showing. Seriously, pack it in. Some great filler ingredients include: small berries like blueberries, arugula, or almonds!
4. Incorporate Smaller Containers
There’s nothing worse than grabbing a strawberry off a board, only to find out the olive juice leaked out of its designated spot. To prevent this, use smaller containers (ex. decorative mini bowls) for items like olives or jams to prevent leakage. It’s a good idea to put these on the board first and then place the other ingredients around them
Remember to keep it fun and let your teen be creative! Appreciate their hard work by thanking them and, of course, liking that Insta post.
If creativity in the kitchen isn’t your forte there are plenty of charcuterie board recipes that come up with a simple google search too!
