{"id":82085,"date":"2024-03-13T06:55:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-13T13:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/hi-lo\/?post_type=newspack_nl_cpt&p=82085"},"modified":"2024-03-13T10:32:59","modified_gmt":"2024-03-13T17:32:59","slug":"how-to-build-a-picnic-ready-charcuterie-board","status":"publish","type":"newspack_nl_cpt","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/newsletter\/how-to-build-a-picnic-ready-charcuterie-board","title":{"rendered":"How to build a picnic-ready charcuterie board"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n
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Here’s a charcuterie board I put together before becoming a vegetarian (obviously). Everything aside from the rosemary I plucked from my yard, came from Trader Joe’s. Photo by Kat Schuster. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Good morning, it\u2019s 7 a.m.<\/strong>, though it somehow feels like it\u2019s 5 a.m.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I could never fully wrap my head around why this hangover-adjacent phenomenon occurs at the spring forward of Daylight Savings Time<\/strong>, but I suppose I could just be feeling that a little harder, having just returned from my heavenly NOLA<\/strong>-vacay.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Speaking of which, thank you to everyone who responded to last week\u2019s newsletter<\/a> with compliments and ((a ton of)) recommendations for the next time I visit Crescent City<\/strong> \u2014 j\u2019adore<\/em>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyway, let\u2019s brush the sleepy out of our eyes, pull on our favorite shades and prepare ourselves for an extra hour of sun \u2014 and warmer weather on the horizon. To me, that says it\u2019s picnic season again, which also means it\u2019s charcuterie season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What? You can\u2019t have a proper outdoor party without a party platter. And while charcuterie is a 15th-century French<\/strong> term for cured meat (that\u2019s shar-coo-ter-ee), today it\u2019s pretty much just used to describe any pile of sharable yummies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, let\u2019s get to it. First, I\u2019ll explain how to build a charcuterie board and then, I\u2019ll share some of my favorite parks to enjoy your beautiful party platter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last summer, I interviewed Vanessa Harmon, a former lawyer turned turophile (a cheese master), who had just opened The Vintage LBC,<\/a> a cheese and wine shop in Bixby Knolls. Today, I\u2019ll share some of the knowledge she imparted to me that day as well as some of the tricks I\u2019ve picked up along the way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are six steps to building a charcuterie board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 1: Pick your theme<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t bristle; a platter full of snacks (a.k.a. Girl Dinner<\/strong>) is hard to hate, easy to make and you can really assemble a charcuterie of anything \u2014 from a Bloody Mary-themed board <\/a>to a waffle breakfast board<\/a>. Heck, you could even try to build this eccentric St. Patrick\u2019s Day<\/a> board with green cupcakes, Rainbow Airheads<\/strong>, chocolate coins and of course, Lucky Charms<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I may have turned to a vegetarian (sometimes pescatarian) diet last year, but that hasn\u2019t stopped me from putting on a mean meat-free party platter when the occasion arises. Check out my vegetarian board below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Kat Schuster.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Vanessa for one, sells a good amount of vegan and vegetarian cheese in her shop. And now, you can get cured meat mimicry at the Plant Butchers, the city\u2019s first vegan deli. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When picking your theme, you may also want to consider the season. Like fruits and vegetables, there are seasons for some cheeses. For the spring, Vanessa likes an Alp Blossom, a fragrant cow-milk cheese that is covered in dry flowers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 2: Go shopping<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019re going to need to visit a grocery store, deli and\/or a cheese shop to get everything you need. Here are the places I recommend checking out in Long Beach: <\/p>\n\n\n\n