Kimberly Stevens - Savor: Entertaining with Charcuterie, Cheese, Spreads & More

Whether it is a gorgeous assortment of hard-to-obtain cheeses for a formal dinner party, or a simple afternoon nibble of nuts and sliced fruit to go with a chilled glass of Ros, serving anything on a board instantly elevates the moment. Large or small, round or rectangular, unfinished or polished, a board can take many forms. But no matter what, it is always a welcome sight. Traditionally, it is used to showcase something beautiful: a few perfect tomatoes from the garden, a wedge of cheese recommended by a local cheese monger, or a luxurious pile of cured meat. Whether it is presenting these, a loaf of bread fresh from the oven, olives a friend brought back from their travels, or a beautiful handmade preserve and a handful of crackers you baked yourself, the serving board is a blank canvas, made to let you craft, slice, and display limitless combinations of foodstuffs that suit your tastes and moods. After speaking with so many experts with opinions about the perfect board, everyone was in full agreement that the board itself is the foundation of greatness, no matter what form it may take.

It always has a couple of great stories to tell: the contents sum up the party, and its scarred surface relates the snacks and meals gone by. Just looking at a certain stain or knife mark brings the memories rushing back. Most importantly, a beautiful board always leads to conversation, which is what were all after, in the end. SAVOR THE SERVING BOARD: BLACKCREEK MERCANTILE & TRADING CO. Joshua Vogel has been a woodworker his whole life and owns Blackcreek Mercantile & Trading Co., located in Kingston, New York. He specializes in making furniture, as well as a collection of smaller handmade goods, including serving boards. Think of all of the places that serving boards pop up in advertising and marketing, said Vogel.

Watch food ads on television, especially fast food ads. Eight out of 10 times there will be some wooden cutting board in the presentation shot. Keep an eye out, you will see. I dont think about it as merely a gimmick, there is something very deep-seated, some familiar connection, a chord that is struck that they are using to communicate some inherent message to you. Not only is it culturally ingrained, it is cross-culturally ingrained within us. It is an example of woodwork on the very most basic human level.

The important thing isnt the advertising of course, it is this notion that there are intrinsically human shapes and forms that address intrinsically human needs, matched with our material environment. There are things, objects that we have made and re-made, carried with us for thousands and thousands of years over continents and through cultures. Serving boards have to be among the earliest of all human tools. [A friend and I] once ended a very long and tiresome day of traveling and were greeted by our foreign hosts with a very beautiful and easy meal of charcuterie, toasts, fruits, and vegetables that was prepared on and served on a very large oak plank. There was no pretense about the meal, no waiting. The plank was able to move to the couches as we talked about our travels, then eventually outside in the evening under the stars.

A movable feast. There were no dishes or portions served. There was no pressure. It was a communal meal.

courtesy of Blackcreek Mercantile & Trading Co.

Shutterstock.com While an empty serving board is bursting with potential, getting it to convey exactly what you want and satisfy your guests can be daunting.

Shutterstock.com While an empty serving board is bursting with potential, getting it to convey exactly what you want and satisfy your guests can be daunting.

With that in mind, we begin with tips from culinary heavyweights like Murrays Cheese, Publican Quality Meats, Lady & Larder, and more, enabling you to get your board just right.ELIZABETH CHUBBUCKS PRIZE SERVING BOARDElizabeth Chubbuck, Senior Vice President of Marketing & Sales for Murrays Cheese, picked her favorite cheeses for a board, along with some great tips for accompaniments.