I apologize in advance for the insane amount of photos, however I’m so obsessed with this charcuterie board it’s hard to pick which photo to use!
This Ultimate Spring Cheese Board is such a crowd pleaser and the best way to celebrate the beginning of warm weather heading our way soon! With a mix of both simple recipes and store bought ingredients, this board can be whipped up on a moments notice and with four different cheeses, salty pretzels, candied fruits, homemade crackers and edible flowers, it’s definitely a showstopper.
I knew I wanted to share a beautiful charcuterie platter soon when my friend recently sent me one of her custom charcuterie boards in the mail. She (Brittany) recently started her own woodworking business called Holtz Reclaimed Wood where she custom designs handmade home decor of all kinds of custom tables, charcuterie boards and shelves from reclaimed wood. Everything she posts I want in my house. So when she sent me this charcuterie board I was automatically in love with it. My absolute favorite part about it is the live edge on the piece where you can see where the wood was cut from the tree. On top of that, it also has two different shades of wood on it adding this two tone color blocking that really makes this board one-of-a-kind. It’s beautiful.
When I’m not using my cutting boards/charcuterie boards I tend to tuck them away in my kitchen until used again, but with this one, I leave it on my shelf as decor. It ties into my whole shelf and goes perfectly with the vibe of the rest of my house.
Now…
To discuss this charcuterie board.
I have been craving a charcuterie board. I love grazing on them while sitting on my front porch and spending time with the people I love most. Pair that with some cocktails and you have yourself a very southern way of living! Hey, I lived in Tennessee for a year so I have a little bit of southern living in me!
Anyways, I made two recipes to add to this board. The first being the homemade cheddar and thyme crackers I posted yesterday. INSANE! I have never had the house smell so good in my life. Then to counteract the wonderful smell in my house, I decided to make these edible deep fried zucchini blossoms stuffed to the brim with mozzarella.
Now, I don’t know if you guys have ever deep fried anything in your house before, but it is definitely something you want to do with the windows open. Otherwise, your house may smell like a fast food restaurant for a bit. However, there has never been a better reason to test this out than with these incredible stuffed zucchini blossoms.
I start by stuffing the blossoms carefully with fresh mozzarella, trying to avoid ripping the petals as they are delicate. Then you twist the opening together a press a little bit together. The natural moisture from the blossoms help seal the opening shut when you twist and pinch the ends together. It’s a beautiful thing.
Next, I make a batter out of flour, salt and champagne. I figured the champagne would pair nicely with the delicate flowers adding a bit of a flulliness to the batter from the bubbles. If you don’t have champagne (I only did because of quarantine day drinking) then you can sub with club soda, sparkling water or even a light lager beer. Up to you! You will dredge the flowers one by one in the batter and then fry for only 2-3 minutes total. Next thing you know, you are biting into a crispy, mouthwatering bundle of melted mozzarella.
Yes, incredible.
I wish I could just shake you and tell you how amazing these taste so that you will make them and get to experience these amazing bundles of joy!
I top these on my charcuterie board with a ton of assorted cheeses throughout the board, sprinkling some pepperoni around, with tons of honey and blueberry jam for dipping. I add another option for crackers so there is a variety on the board. In this case I did a gluten free rice cracker which was thinner. Perfect for using when piling on all of the meats and cheeses. Then I finish the board off with a few candied fruits and edible flowers, for the person who loves a bit of a sweet treat in between all of the savory.
When assembling a charcuterie board, there are a few things I usually have as my go-to for how to get the perfect board. Let me break down the process for a successful charcuterie.
- Start with getting at least two cheeses. I think having at least two variations gives the board a solid line up of base components. In this case, I went with four because I am what they call skinny fat and have no limit when it comes to cheese. I typically go for a brie and an aged white cheddar or parmesan. One of my all time favorites is Sartori cheese. I’ve seen it everywhere now so it’s pretty easy to get. If you are looking to add more, I usually go with a blue cheese or goat because they pair so well with dried fruits and a parmesan to pair with jams.
- Point your cheese facing outwards. I learned this from my girl Ina Garten. I can’t believe I just had to link who Ina Garten is. If you don’t know she is my biggest inspiration and if I could meet anyone in the world it would probably be her. Anyways! Pointing your cheese outward allows an easier cutting process when consuming said charcuterie board. Instead of having to work around the rest of the toppings.
- Surround your board with at least one meat. I like to frame some of the cheeses with pieces of meats. That way they are easy to grab. I typically go for a sopressata or a prosciutto…or both. They have amazing salt to them so they pair great with soft cheeses.
- When looking for crackers, try to use one thinner and one thick one. I like to have a thicker option just for eating by itself or dipping into a jam. The thickness allows it to not break while you dip it. I used my homemade cheddar and thyme crackers here because they are great on their own with wine and I could snack on them all day everyday. The dryness from the flour in them allows them to have a great snap. One that I think would really impress the Great British Bake offs Paul Hollywood.
- Add a Jam or Dip for good measure. I try to avoid using a cheese dip here since there typically is already a ton of cheese on my board already. My favorite is to just throw some old fruit I have in my fridge with some sugar and vinegar and in two minutes have my own homemade jam to pair with the cheeses. You can find a recipe for strawberry jam on my Strawberry Jam Filled Challah recipe. However, if you are crunched for time, store bought is perfect! I always have my go-to Dalmatia Fig Jam stored in my fridge since I use it on EVERYTHING. So I highly recommend that one.
- Sprinkle fresh and dried fruits in all the empty spaces. This is what I believe the professionals call a ‘pro-move’. It adds color to your board and a healthy option for that annoying health nut at your table. I usually go for fruits that are all different colors just so there is dimension to your board. This time I went with classic naval oranges, strawberries and pomegranate.
- Drizzle honey all over a cheese. Honey is the most beautiful thing in the world. I always drizzle it over whichever cheese is the softest on the board. In this case it was the goat cheese so I loaded it on. Then used pretzel sticks to scoop up that yummy goodness and shovel the honey goat mixture in my mouth.
- Optional: Finally, if your heart desires, decorate with some flowers. I had some edible flowers lying around because I’m annoying like that so I used them to sprinkles between all of the meats, cheeses and jams and it really took the board from 0-60 in terms of overload. I love it! If you don’t have things barely hanging on to the edges of your board, then is there really enough? I’m not so sure…
The Ultimate Spring Cheese Board
Ingredients
- vegetable oil for frying
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 12 oz champagne (sub lager or club soda)
- 20-24 zucchini blossoms
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella
- sea salt flakes for sprinkling
Instructions
- In a large pot or cast iron skillet, heat at least 2 inches of vegetable oil to 350 degrees F.
- Mix the flour, salt and champagne in a bowl and whisk until clumps are gone. Set aside.
- Carefully pull back the petals of the blossom and stuff with a 1/2 oz cube of mozzarella. Then twist the ends together to seal. I like to pinch the petals at the very top. They have natural moisture to them that helps keep the pocket of mozzarella closed.
- When ready to fry, dredge the blossoms one at a time in the batter and carefully place in the oil, cook for 2-3 minutes, rotating with a spatula halfway through. They should come out golden and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and put on a paper towel lines tray to dry. Avoid putting too many in the oil at a time and overcrowding, this will rapidly drop the temperature of your oil and not cook properly.
- Once done, sprinkle with sea salt flakes and eat. The mozzarella should be nice and melty and the outer blossom nice and crisp. Like nothing I’ve tasted before!
