Subscribe to get the latest from Everyday A, including how to Create the Perfect Valentines Day Charcuterie Board!
Let’s Create the Perfect Valentines Day Charcuterie Board!
Valentines Day is right around the corner and that means we can indulge in as many chocolate treats as we damn well please… guilt free, of course 😉
Naturally, February is kind of a sad month. Where I live it is one of the coldest months of the year and summer feels like an eternity away. However, on the bright side, it is the month of LOVE and with that comes a holiday that is generally either happily celebrated or strongly resented.
In my opinion, you don’t need to get stuck in the stigma that is Valentines Day. Where you have to be in the perfect relationship and broadcast the countless smooches and undeniable affection you are getting to the world. No, you just need to celebrate LOVE for what it is to you!
For some of us that means having a “galentines” get together with bottles upon bottles of bubbles and endless laughs with your best gal pals. Or for others, it may mean spending time with your family and catching up over tasty snacks and your favorite movie. It doesn’t always have to be recognized as the day to celebrate with your significant other. Take this day to do whatever you please! It is a day for everyone to feel the love!
Now to Create the Perfect Valentines Day Charcuterie Board
For me, I am all about a good grazing board and I look for any excuse to make one! This valentines day I have put together a charcuterie board with some of my favourite items to share with all of you!
When you are putting together a charcuterie board, there is no right or wrong way to do it in my opinion. I think you should use whatever you like and not worry about following the “rules” where you have to use specific varieties of meats and cheeses and arrange everything in a particular way. Just do YOU! After all, you and your loved ones are the people enjoying it, right?
I decided to use a combination of sweet and savoury flavours. Keep reading if you want to see what I chose for my Valentines Day charcuterie board!
Cheese
When it comes to cheeses, I generally gravitate towards any and all varieties. Although, I have not quite acquired the “stinky cheese” taste yet. Sorry blue cheese, you will have to find your way to someone else’s grazing board for now.
For this particular board, I have chosen to use a rich and creamy brie with a side of red pepper jelly to go with it. I love this flavour combination and the red pepper jelly adds a nice red hue to the board!
I also chose to use one of my absolute favourite cheeses… black truffle Monterey Jack. It is literally mouth watering and I can’t get enough!
Meats
When it comes to meats, I usually stick to authentic European deli style meats and try to incorporate both salty and spicy flavour profiles. For this board, I chose to use parma salami, chorizo salami and a German style salami.
Crackers
Generally, I incorporate anywhere from 2-3 varieties of crackers onto a grazing board. Seeing as I used two cheeses, I decided to use only two types of crackers to keep the board balanced.
For variety, I have chosen a sea salted cracker as well as a pretzel cracker. Both of these work well with the sweet and savoury flavours I have used on this board.
Fruit
I think its always a nice touch to add some fruit to a charcuterie board. I find it cuts the heaviness from items such as the salty meats and rich cheeses. I chose to use a combination of raspberries, blackberries and the obvious choice for Valentines Day, strawberries.
Chocolate
I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but what is a Valentines Day board without chocolate?! I prefer dark chocolate, so that is what I have chosen to stick with for this board.
First, I used dark chocolate hazelnut squares. Nuts pair very well with the typical flavours used in charcuterie boards, so I wanted to include it in the chocolate. It also adds a nice textural element with the crunch from the hazelnut pieces.
Next, I used sea salted caramel dark chocolate squares to add some extra sweetness since I did not include milk chocolate on this board.
For my final chocolate flavour, I chose red chili dark chocolate squares. Chili peppers are one of my favourite foods to cook with and I also love when it is paired in sweet variations. Chili peppers are known as an aphrodisiac said to spice up your love life and get you feeling in the mood. Definitely the perfect item to add to a Valentines Day charcuterie board.
I hope you enjoy creating my Valentines Day Charcuterie Board for you and your loved ones to enjoy!
Your Valentines Day celebration may also be in need of a tasty cocktail. Make sure to check out my recipe for the Ultimate Lemon Thyme Vodka Spritz! It is light and refreshing, the perfect pairing to go with your charcuterie board.
As always, thank you for stopping by! You can find me on Instagram and Pinterest for more content. Wishing you all a fabulous love day!
Your Girl,
A
