Say Cheese! 7 Gorgeous Grazing Boards
Charcuterie, or grazing boards, are as beautiful as they are bountiful. Treat yourself to savory meats, sinful cheeses, sweet fruit, and so much more with these locally crafted works of art.
Pro Tip: Don't be intimidated to try new cheeses and have fun while making your board. Include items you love and get creative by using fresh flowers or garnishes like rosemary or sage!
Pro Tip: Add texture. We eat with our eyes first. A variety of colors and flavors makes any board look appetizing and taste amazing.
Pro Tip: Always experiment. Combine types of cheeses that you like or haven’t tried before with prosciutto, salami, or jámon. Add dried fruits, nuts, different types of crackers, and bread. Don’t forget a nice jam and honey. When setting up your board, start with the biggest items to the smallest.
Pro tip: Choose flavors that pair well together like brie and fig jam, salami and gouda, or goat cheese and honey.
Pro Tip: Have variety and have fun! Cheese is fun food; it doesn't have to be so serious. Mix up types and textures of cheese—cow, goat, sheep's milk, soft, firm, and everything in between.
Pro Tip: Choose your favorites, then pick a wild card—something you’ve never tried before. Style tables and boards by starting out with focal food placement. What do you want to stand out the most? Cluster those foods together for the most visible impact.
Pro Tip: There are no rules! Explore cheeses in hard, semi-hard, and soft varieties. Shop local farmers’ markets for seasonal pairings like fruits, crudites, nuts, honey, and olives, and finish off with fresh breads.
Grazing Gouda in Sacramento offers luxury boards and tables that include locally sourced artisan cheeses, premium meats, and fresh, seasonal fruit. Their medium round board serves 8-10 and includes four cheeses, three meats, fresh and dried fruit, crackers, nuts, chocolates, honey, jam, olives, and other enticing accoutrements. We especially love the decorative fruit and flower elements in this pleasing platter. @grazinggouda
Grazing Gouda's medium round board serves 8-10
Pro Tip: Don't be intimidated to try new cheeses and have fun while making your board. Include items you love and get creative by using fresh flowers or garnishes like rosemary or sage!
Delicious Delights by The Dancer’s Pantry in Gold River creates thoughtfully curated and artistically designed dairy and plant-based cheese grazing experiences. Their boxes, boards, and grazing tables are filled with artisanal cheeses, crackers, jams, homemade spreads, pickles, nuts, and seasonal fruit and veg. Their medium harvest board (feeds 8-12) is particularly delightful, with custom-made pumpkin hummus and beets pickled in brown sugar, rosemary, and apple cider. thedancerspantry.com
Delicious Delights by The Dancer’s Pantry medium harvest board (feeds 8-12) and is particularly delightful.
Pro Tip: Add texture. We eat with our eyes first. A variety of colors and flavors makes any board look appetizing and taste amazing.
Charcutebrie in Roseville curbs those cheese cravings with deli boxes and platters that can even be custom-made. Their grand deli platter serves 8 and boasts delectable artisan cheeses, freshly cut meats, fruits, olives, nuts, honey, and a specialty jam, all served on a sustainable bamboo platter. charcutebrie.com
Charcutebrie grand deli platter serves 8
Pro Tip: Always experiment. Combine types of cheeses that you like or haven’t tried before with prosciutto, salami, or jámon. Add dried fruits, nuts, different types of crackers, and bread. Don’t forget a nice jam and honey. When setting up your board, start with the biggest items to the smallest.
Divine Charcuterie in El Dorado Hills masterfully makes boards and boxes for every occasion, from date nights to weddings. Every board is bright and bold with intentionally paired flavors. Their popular medium board is perfect for 6-8 and flaunts four different cheeses, three cured meats, and an exciting variety of fruits, spreads, sweets, and crackers. divinecharcuterie.com
The Divine Charcuterie's popular medium board is perfect for 6-8
Pro tip: Choose flavors that pair well together like brie and fig jam, salami and gouda, or goat cheese and honey.
Cellar Door Platters in Sacramento is a long-time cheesemonger who knows their stuff. Their assortment of platter boxes and grazing tables come with rotating cheeses, signature salami roses, local honey, and seasonal accoutrements. Best part? They also offer tasting and pairing notes for their platter boxes, which have been a favorite during the pandemic. cellardoorplatters.com
Cellar Door Platters' platter boxes also offer tasting and pairing notes
Pro Tip: Have variety and have fun! Cheese is fun food; it doesn't have to be so serious. Mix up types and textures of cheese—cow, goat, sheep's milk, soft, firm, and everything in between.
The Grazing Grouse in Placerville creates platters, boxes, and lush grazing tables that artfully combine food and floristry, resulting in a decadent spread that’s a feast for the senses. Brimming with fresh-smoked salmon, honey-crusted oranges, stuffed brie, compote, local chocolate, and California cheeses and olives, these spreads definitely impress. thegrazinggrouse.com
The Grazing Grouses lush grazing tables that artfully combine food and floristry.
Pro Tip: Choose your favorites, then pick a wild card—something you’ve never tried before. Style tables and boards by starting out with focal food placement. What do you want to stand out the most? Cluster those foods together for the most visible impact.
Sierra Charcuterie Co. in El Dorado Hills delivers a farm-to-fork experience by highlighting locally sourced cheeses, cured meats, olives, nuts, and honey in their tablescapes, platters, boxes, and appetizer cones and cups. Their innovative seasonal medium board incorporates local, fresh, and dried fruit; crudites; and unique accoutrements bursting with freshness and flavor. sierra-charcuterie-co.business.site
Sierra Charcuterie Co.'s innovative seasonal medium board incorporates local, fresh, and dried fruit and unique accoutrements bursting with freshness and flavor.
Pro Tip: There are no rules! Explore cheeses in hard, semi-hard, and soft varieties. Shop local farmers’ markets for seasonal pairings like fruits, crudites, nuts, honey, and olives, and finish off with fresh breads.
BY Tara Mendanha
Photos courtesy of their respective companies or organizations.