On Board

Custom charcuterie boards make holiday hosting deliciously easy

Photography by PETER COLIN MURRAY // Styling by SARA SPICER

PULLING OFF A successful holiday get-together is a balancing act. Each dish needs to be ready in time and on time for the whole thing to go off without a hitch. Unless, of course, you choose a meat-and-cheese charcuterie board, which contains delectable extras like fruit, nuts, crackers, crostini and more. It’s hard to pick the best part: That these boards come from local businesses? That they’re tasty cold or at room temperature? That cleanup is a snap? We’ll let you decide.

Sweet, salty or savory — why choose?

Cured meats like salami, capicola, prosciutto and pepperoni are the foundation for most charcuterie boards. Layer in cheese, then fresh and dried fruits — figs are a festive, beautiful choice. Olives, crackers, nuts: anything goes when it comes to salty elements. For an extra sweet finish, add pumpkin spice yogurt pretzels, coconut macaroons, pralines and local honeys.

**Tip:** Laura Rose, owner of Savannah Cheese Boards, created this board to be completely gluten-free — it’s a great option for guests with food allergies.

*Custom board by Savannah Cheese Boards*

Say cheese

Charcuterie is highly customizable, but Sara Cox, owner of Sarandipity Fare, and Sydney Lassen, owner of Chatham Charcuterie, both chose Merlot BellaVitano, brie and blueberry goat cheese for their boards.