Cold weather should never stop us from picnicking.
Picnics are a wonderful and informal way to entertain without stress.
One of the best ways to organize an indoor picnic is by creating a charcuterie board — or cheese board — rather than a full picnic meal.
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| A beautiful fruit and cheese set gifted to me by friends Jane and Larry. |
Sure… fried chicken, potato salad, and biscuits would be great, but that kind of menu just adds the stress right back in.
By visiting your local butcher, cheese monger, and green grocer — or even your favorite supermarket — you can put together a spread that takes no time at all. Throw in a bottle of wine, and everyone will be happy!
For me, I started to put together today’s beautiful charcuterie/cheese board by visiting my local farmers market and then filling in from there.
The inspiration for the board came from some venison rillettes made by Top Knot Farms. Usually I get duck confit from them but the venison sounded so autumnal. They also have the smoothest chicken liver mousse I’ve ever had. Those two items were the starting point for my board.
To the mousse I added Dijon mustard and cornichons. I stopped at Whole Foods for some Tuscan fennel sausage and Serrano ham.
Cheeses are an integral part for me, as well. And, whenever Fiore di Capra has it, I get their blue-coated goat (chèvre bleu). I added a DOP Fontina from the Val d’Aosta, and a small wedge of P’tit Basque.
I like to have a little something fruity and sweet on the board, too. Honey goes well with cheese — I opted for a local wildflower honey — and I added a healthy dollop of apple-horseradish marmalade, a specialty of the Veneto. It is fantastic with cheeses. We learned about it when we were visiting some of Andrea Palladio’s villas in the Veneto, a pleasant day-trip from Venice.
I also added fresh pears from Larry’s Veggies because, well, fresh pears are amazing. And because I wanted to use the beautiful 19th-century fruit knives and forks passed on to us by friends Jane and Larry. What an incredibly thoughtful gift – it’s like we are part of the family now.
Nuts – I always add whatever is local. There are groves of pistachios near Tucson, so a few hands full are a default choice for our board.
The final touch is bread and/or crackers. If I have good fresh bread, I use that… Otherwise crackers work perfectly well.
Needless to say, wine is de rigueur. For this particular board, I started with a Provence white from Château la Calisse. To read more about the pairing, head over to the Provence WineZine.
So for a mid-winter break, call some friends, toss cushions and a tablecloth on the floor in front of the fireplace, or gather at the kitchen table by candlelight.
~ David
Charcuterie/Cheese Board
3-4 meats, pâtés, or sausages
3-4 cheeses (a mixture of soft, hard, mild, strong)
fresh fruit – apples, pears, grapes
preserved fruit – membrillo, cren, marmalade
condiments – mustard, pickles, honey
nuts
bread and/or crackers
Arrange the items on a large board or tray, and set out a little early so all ingredients come to room temperature to maximize their flavors.
Serves 6-8 as an appetizer, or 3-4 as a meal.
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Gloria Baker
January 4, 2020 at 3:34 pmawww absolutely love this. Is my picnic style, this white wine , the nuts and cheese, love all!!
Cocoa and Lavender
January 5, 2020 at 3:18 pmThanks, Gloria! What’s not to love?
Eha
January 4, 2020 at 11:29 pm*wicked grin* Being a Nordic child, we do this all the time, especially around Christmas, and call it smorgasbord !! Next time around shall remember some of your suggestions, omit a few of my fish and add some of the rillettes and cheeses . . the chicken liver pate is always there . . . oh, you forgot each glass of wine has to have a shot before it . . .
Cocoa and Lavender
January 5, 2020 at 3:18 pmMy, oh my! A shot before each glass of wine? I’d be asleep in minutes!
Christina | Christina's Cucina
January 5, 2020 at 4:14 amThis is often something we did in our hotel room when we traveled with the kids to save money. Much cheaper than a full meal at a restaurant for 4 people, and everything is always so good in Europe, you can't go wrong! Love your offerings, David, looks like a fab picnic, but for me, you're missing just one thing: bread! 😉
Cocoa and Lavender
January 5, 2020 at 3:20 pmThis is the way I traveled as a student – inexpensive and, honestly, a lot of fun – and quite romantic if sharing with the right person!
Ah, bread… I did have bread but the board got too crowded and I just didn’t have time to reconfigure everything! But we are in agreement – bread is de rigueur!
2pots2cook
January 5, 2020 at 4:10 pmCheeses with honey and apple horseradish marmalade is the best antipasto ever ! When awfully hot here we pack food of that kind and hurry into the shadows to enjoy. And there is something else, dear friend : I would gladly exchange several jars of tomato salsa to get your venison rillettes. Heaven. Heaven, David 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
January 7, 2020 at 2:20 pmOh, I wish I had lots of venison rillettes to share, Davorka – they were a very special one-off from my friends.
Ron
January 5, 2020 at 5:58 pmAbsolute joy, indoor or out. We love to go on roar trips and gather yummy food stuffs along the way and then have a indoor in-room picnic in the evening. Perfection.
Cocoa & Lavender
January 7, 2020 at 2:21 pmSounds like a perfect combination, Ron!
Sippity Sup
January 6, 2020 at 3:39 pmA most artful picnic! GREG
Cocoa & Lavender
January 7, 2020 at 2:21 pmThanks, you, sir!
Sherry's Pickings
January 7, 2020 at 5:39 amwhat a gorgeous antique fruit and cheese set. so pretty. i actually prefer an indoor picnic. not much of a fan of bugs and grass and ants… and we have kookaburras etc who love to swoop on your food. the apple marmalade sounds interesting!
Cocoa & Lavender
January 7, 2020 at 2:22 pmI am not much for bugs and wildlife, either! Although on occasion, an outdoor picnic in the mountains can be relatively pest free!
Andrea_TheKitchenLioness
January 7, 2020 at 8:23 pmDear David, what a beautiful spread – I love all about your winter/indoor picnic. It's elegant, delicious and there is something for everyone. A wonderful way to take the stress out of entertaining and supporting your local market/greengrocer/manufacture…
Liebe Grüße,
Andrea
Cocoa & Lavender
January 9, 2020 at 12:53 pmWe seem to use this method more and more often as we get older and still busier! But it works, and – while very simple – it feels very special.
Kitchen Riffs
January 8, 2020 at 4:19 pmWe love indoor picnics! And will often put together a charcuterie for an evening meal. With wine, natch. 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
January 9, 2020 at 12:54 pmWine is a necessity, John – but a good cocktail before doesn't hurt!
Valentina
January 9, 2020 at 8:41 amThis concept of an indoor picnic is so much fun, David. I've never thought about a meal that way. And I could have a board full of these goodies for every meal. So delicious! 🙂 ~Valentina
Cocoa & Lavender
January 9, 2020 at 12:54 pmIt makes for good family and friend fun, and can cater to many needs (e.g Gluten Free) at the same time.
Marcelle
January 10, 2020 at 4:05 pmDavid, I've been absolutely in love with fun cheese/charcuterie boards lately too. I love that you included the chicken liver mousse. I personally love liver pate/mousse too, and I haven't thought of adding some to a charcuterie spread! Really beautiful board, thank you for the inspiration! xoxo
Cocoa & Lavender
January 31, 2020 at 1:30 pmThanks, Marcelle – I am working on a mousse recipe and am hoping to post it soon!
Inger @ Art of Natural Living
January 11, 2020 at 9:46 pmOoo, all of my favorite things David! Now I just need another excuse to party!
Cocoa & Lavender
January 31, 2020 at 1:30 pmI never need an excuse, Inger! 🙂
Cathy @ She Paused 4 Thought
January 30, 2020 at 4:28 amI love your style… picnic in the winter, simply brilliant. Your presentation is beautiful!
Cocoa & Lavender
January 31, 2020 at 1:31 pmFireside picnics are wonderful, Cathy! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂