Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Choose a clean wooden board, large platter, slate board, or suitable serving tray and match its size to your gathering. Wash and thoroughly dry the fruit. Slice firm cheeses into a few easy-to-grab pieces, fold or loosely roll the cured meats, and place olives, cornichons, jam, mustard, and other wet or loose ingredients into small bowls. Have cheese knives, small spoons, picks, or tongs ready where needed. Keep wet fruit and briny foods away from crackers.
- Arrange everything from largest to smallest: bowls → cheeses → meats → crackers → fruit → pickles → nuts and dried fruit → herbs. Spread the small bowls across the board, then place the cheeses as visual anchors. Add folded prosciutto and fanned or overlapping salami. Arrange crackers or bread in short rows or gentle curves and cluster fruit in the larger spaces. Fill smaller gaps with nuts and dried fruit, then finish with a few sprigs of rosemary or thyme if desired.
Notes
Choose ingredients with contrasting flavors, colors, and textures. Keep wet fruit and briny foods away from crackers so they stay crisp. For an appetizer, plan about 1–2 ounces of cheese per person and several slices of cured meat per guest. Prepare refrigerated components ahead and keep them covered and chilled, but add crackers, bread, and delicate freshly cut fruit closer to serving.