I'm showing you exactly How to Build a Summer Cheeseboard! I always start off with a simple formula to creating a spread to please everyone, and I always use what's in season to fill out the board - in this case, berries, peaches, zucchini, and everything summery and delicious! This is a method you can use to feed a crowd of any size, and for any occasion, large or small!
The way I always start, is figuring out the fruits and veggies that I want to use. Sometimes this doesn’t happen until I get to the grocery store or farmers market and see what looks good, but it’s always a good idea to think about what’s in season and have a little bit of a plan.
To build the board, I always start off with the cheeses and the cured meats, and then I fill in from there. I also add ramekins of honey, preserves, bowls of olives, etc., since they’re larger and take up more space. I try to group cheeses that are different from each other together. For a huge board like this, I like to layer smaller boards on top to break things up a little and give it dimension & seem not so crowded.
From that point, I fill in with the fruit and veg. And last but not least, the fill-ins. Things like nuts, bread, and crackers! A good rule of thumb for these, is 2-3 different nuts, and I always get a baguette, and either slice it fresh or make crostini out of it. For crackers, it’s totally up to you. I tend to use more than probably what’s needed. Anywhere from 3-5 is great!
Depending on the size of the crowd you're feeding, you can pick and choose as many as you'd like from each category! Feel free to play around with the placement of everything, and most importantly, have fun with it!
*A few things I do to make day-of assembly a little easier:
-wash + cut veggies and fruit the morning of
-spoon jams, preserves, condiments, mustards into ramekins/bowls (this can be done the day before)
-slice baguette
-have a general plan of the way you’re going to arrange your cheeses so you aren’t scrambling last minute!
*This cheeseboard-building method can be used for any size cheeseboard, and any size gathering, large or small! Just choose from each category with your guests in mind, and start there! I've also included serving suggestions for this in the body of the post!