A good cheeseboard feels like a celebration. Building an interesting, impressive, aesthetically pleasing charcuterie platter is easy once you learn the creative basics. Here we bring in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flare with our cheese selections, fresh and dried fruits, and jams. With just a little effort, a well-stocked cheeseboard can be a mini-meal in itself satisfying both savory and sweet culinary desires. Stack a perfect cracker bite high with cheese, drizzled with honey or jam, a fresh herb, and a nutritious nut or two and offer a mouthful of love.
Over the break, one of the things our teenage gals loved doing was shopping for an optimal cheese appetizer plate together – they made the one pictured above. They carefully arranging everything on one of our finest silver platters, a wedding gift we have maybe used twice ever. Then they proudly snapped a couple of photos of it. It pleased my ‘mom heart’ to watch them proudly sit down and enjoy snacking on their creation to the point of getting too full for dinner. With all the balanced elements of a nutritious meal, that suited me just fine.
Have you heard of the word ‘mezze’? It is a term used in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine referring to bite-sized appetizers. It is meant to get your appetite going for the main meal ahead. A cheeseboard doesn’t have to be cheese and crackers on a cutting board. Make it more interesting by adding some special mezze platter flair.
Unique mezze platter ingredients:
- Hard cheeses and thin-sliced meats
- Grape leaves and fresh herbs
- Nuts
- Fresh and dried fruit, honey and jams
- Lavash bread or crackers
- Stuffed grape leaves (dolma), hummus, yogurt dips
Putting together a unique and inviting cheeseboard is easy. Start with 3 kinds of cheese including one soft cheese (I use Manchego, Pecorino, and goat cheese).
Steps:
- Strategically place 3 kinds of cheese including one soft cheese near the center
- Roll up cured meats such as Mortadella and Proscuitto and place it near the cheeses
- Choose a variety of crackers and toasts including breadsticks (good to dip with) and spread them evenly around the cheese board for easy access – we like seeded crackers
- Place fresh jam in a small bowl with a little spoon for easy serving; likewise with honey or slice some fresh honeycomb honey and lay it over cheeses
- Keep nuts neat in small bowls or sprinkle them in little piles near the cheese and crackers to keep from spilling over
- Choose colorful and seasonal accouterments – berries, pomegranate arils, dried sliced mandarin oranges, roasted chickpeas, and olives are great choices for the Mediterranean board. Spread them around filling in holes and adding color
- Lay bountiful bunches of grapes all around
- Slice figs and lay them near the center with the cheeses
- Garnish with sprigs of tarragon (mine looked pretty overgrown with blossoms) fresh basil leaves, and edible flowers!
Here is a nice video walking you through each of the steps to build a beautiful cheeseboard:
Now let’s break down each of the components of a good Mediterranean charcuterie platter.
Cheeses –
A true charcuterie board needs cheese and meat. The cheeses and meats are the heart of the platter. Hard cheeses have lower fat. Examples are Parmesean, Pecorino, and our family’s favorite, Manchego. Typically, the softer the cheese, the oiler, and fattier. We love the taste of creamy brie but we save it for special occasions only. For our family, digesting the harder cheeses is also easier, and another reason to stick with Parm and Manchego. If you are going the Mediterranean route, goat cheese and feta cheese fit the bill and are lower fat, healthy options. Choose to your delight.
Meats –
Being a plant-based eater myself, the meat is not on our platters for me. It’s there for the more carnivorous of the bunch. That being said I have been known to throw on my personal meat weakness, crispy bacon! What I’ll say about adding meat to your board is pick what you like. If you are going for appearance, thinly sliced meats present well and can be fanned out.
Nuts –
The best nut for a Mediterranean platter is walnuts. Choose whole or halve walnuts. Toast them lightly to boost their flavor notes. Stack them in hearty piles near the cheeses.
Fruits, Honey, and Jams –
The most traditional fresh fruit on Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Mezze boards is grapes.
Abundant fresh grapes at the farmer’s market
Grapes are beautiful on boards draped around the edges. Select abundant sections of grapes and add them to fill in any gaps in your platter. Cheeseboards are all about finger food opportunities and there is no better finger food than grapes. Our family prefers the taste of thinner-skinned, big yellow, or green grapes. Red grapes make a nice color addition to a beautiful board.
Fresh and dried fruit adds a sweet element to any appetizer offering. Fresh figs are an excellent choice when it comes to Mediterranean platters. Fresh figs are in season late summer through fall. Slice figs in half and show off their intricate colorful centers. If you miss fresh fig season, dried figs and dates are also suitable additions to a tasty mezze platter. Stacked with hard cheese and walnuts, dates and figs are delightful together. Lastly, pomegranate arils are colorful and stick with the Mediterranean theme.
Honey and jams are a welcome staple in our charcuterie boards. Just be sure to have a sweet mini spoon to drizzle over crackers and cheese and top off with a nut. An interesting rose or quince jam would be fabulous in a Mediterranean mix. Try adding a homemade jam or compote like luscious and aromatic Rose Petal Jam, our easy Melon Jam, our tasty Plum Compote! Even simpler, add local honey.
Toasts and Crackers –
Offering a variety of crackers pleases differing tastes. We like adding small toasts or bread in addition to crackers when we are considering our appetizer platter as a mini-meal. Toasted lavash is great for Mediterranean sides. If you’re feeling fancy, use spray oil on the lavash and toast with your favorite spices and salt sprinkled on top, creating your own crunchy crackers. Akmak sesame crackers are an easy and healthy addition. They are stone ground with a short ingredients list that this family nutritionist approves of.
Garnishes –
I love bringing in unique ingredients to our charcuterie boards. Bring the outside in with grape leaves, fresh herbs, and sprigs of greenery or small flowers and buds. Grape leaves are beautiful and add a lovely, garnish. Bunches of fresh herbs not only add to the flavors of the cheeseboard but also look pretty and fresh. I start with a fresh green border and fill in the center of the board with the meats, cheeses, nuts, and fruit.
Lastly, keep it simple. Use fresh, colorful ingredients, and have fun! If you include members of your family in building your cheeseboard you will surely have those same members helping you eat it up.
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