What do artisanal flatbread crackers, salami and dried fruits all have in common? They share a home on our cult-famous grazing boards.
This month, we got together with our culinary team to learn what’s what on our classic grazing board. Because if you’ve been to our tasting room, you know just how delicious this board is, and our team will be the first to admit, it pairs perfectly with…well, anything.
Hosting a dinner party and need to elevate your appetizer game? Want to add some fresh variety into your lunch lineup next week? Going to a potluck and need to bring a dish? Our DIY grazing board is the perfect fit for all of the above!
Plus, if you’re reading this, it’s safe to say you’re interested in wine. Our culinary team has curated our grazing board to accentuate all the complexities of our wines. From the sweetness of the quince paste bringing out the fruit flavors in something like our Sightline, to the saltiness of the cheese complementing our red field blend.
Abbot’s Passage Classic Grazing Board
Prep time: 10 minutes | Total time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- One soft cheese of choice (we recommend Brie or Chevre)
- One semi-hard cheese of choice (we recommend Gouda)
- Sliced Salami
- Sliced Chorizo
- Artisanal Crackers (our personal favorite is Rustic Bakery)
- Crostini
- Cheese pennies or other savory biscuit
- House made pickles or cornichons
- House-cured olives
- Mixed nut savory blend
- Tomato jam
- Quince paste
- Dried peaches
- Dried pineapples
- Mandarin Orange wedges
- Chocolate covered cherries
- Foraged garnish of choice (estate pickings are usually an olive branch or grape leaves)
Serving Pieces:
- One large serving tray
- 3-4 Small serving vessels, plates or bowls
- Small cheese knives, spoons and forks
Instructions:
- Start by arranging all your ingredients on the counter – keeping cheeses, charcuterie, pickles/olives and fruit together in segmented areas
- Begin assembling the board with your two cheeses, we like to set one on each side of the tray. Cut into each one a little bit to make it feel more welcoming (no one wants to be the one to ruin a perfect piece of cheese)!
- Next, fan out the chorizo and salami, one on each side of the board near each cheese
- Select a few of the small serving vessels and decide which will work best for the mixed nuts, olives, pickles, tomato jam and quince paste. Fill each small bowl or plate with one item and place in various places around the board.
- Now it’s time to add the crackers. Spread the crackers, crostini, and cheese pennies in groups around the board, filling in empty spaces
- The fruit is the piece de resistance! The board should be quite full now, so nestle in the dried and fresh fruit along with chocolate covered cherries as a little surprise treat. Don’t be afraid to pile it on or overlap some of the other items.
- Last but not least: a foraged garnish. We like to use olive branches, mustard flowers or grape leaves. You can really use anything here: fresh herbs such as rosemary, basil or tarragon, fresh flowers, or even a sprinkle of dried herbs like thyme or rosemary if you don’t have anything fresh.
