HOW TO MAKE A VEGAN CHARCUTERIE BOARD

Holiday season has officially arrived and I am more motivated then ever to create loads of vegan recipes so you can eat plantbased/vegan food during the Holidays without missing out on anything. Making this platter is very easy. You choose your favorites bits and pieces. Plate it beautifully and you have the whole evening for yourself and guests.

HOW TO BUILD A BEAUTIFUL BOARD:

CRACKERS & BREADS:

Choose a variety of breads and crackers. They are one of the most important components because they hold the dips, cheeses and vegan meats. I went for seedy crackers and wholemeal spelt ones (a heavier cracker to hold dips) and a wafer thin black sesame cracker for the vegan meats. Now the bread. I chose ciabatta because it toasts very well brushed with a little olive oil, under the grill. But flatbreads, naan or sourdough would work great as well.

FRUITS:

Pick out seasonal produce and what compliments your charcuterie best. I love adding seedless grapes for a dramatic effect. Dried apricots or medjoul dates pair wonderfully with cheeses and meats. Almost any dried fruit pairs beautiful.

VEGAN MEATS:

Making a charcuterie board vegan nowadays is not a task anymore. Supermarkets and shops have so many delicious options you can choose from. I went for:

- corned beef
- sliced chicken filet
- salami
- baloney

- grilled sausage

These are essentially deli meats for on your daily sandwich before you go to work but it works great on a board! Get creative. 

DIPS:

And no hummus this time. I choose a mourish tomato tapenade, vegan pate and garlic butter. Simple, safe and everyone likes it. In the picture you can find a few crispy veggies lying around, those are wonderful to dip with. Crispy baked carrots, green beans, beetroots and pumpkin.

And to compliment the vegan cheeses I made a berry compote. Or you can pair it with a chutney/jam. 

VEGAN CHEESES:

I went for:

- herb cheese with chives
- vegan parmesan

There are loads of vegan cheese options out there. Even camembert or blue cheese I have seen laying around.

NUTS:

Nuts are very imporant. Every component of the board has to have equal flavour. So I went for smoked almonds (they taste a bit like bacon), cashewnuts and roasted watermelon seeds. Choose whatever you like. You can leave them pure how to are. or roast them in the pan of oven until they released all their beautiful aroma.

VEG:

Bitter leaves like endive will pair so wonderful with the cheeses and dips. But you can chose cucumber or tomatoes if you have a tougher crowd to feed this season.

Pickles are a staple that you cannot leave out. They pair so good with the vegan meats and cheeses and dips as well. 

GARNISH:

- edible flowers

- cress or herbs
- olives
- berries

- dried orange slices

DRINKS

BEST PAIRING DRINKS WITH THIS BOARD:

Vegan red wine
Vegan white wine
Kumquat Mocktail (see photo) - 1 tbsp kumquat syrup, orange slice, juice of half a lime and topped with soda water. Garnished with kumquats and thyme.
Sparkling water
A good whisky or bourbon on the rocks

PLATING TIPS:

Make sure your deli meats are most of the outside of the board. They create a boarder for all the loose components to not fall off so quickly.

Don't lay your deli meats and cheeses flat. Scrunch the deli meats up like a rose, they leave less space and it gives it a nice effect. 

You eat with your eyes first. Make sure that the colours that you used are complimenting each other. And make sure there is loads of variety of colours.

Put dips in a small dish, so it mash up  or touch your other components.

Make sure you have small plates, cutlery and napkins within reach when you serve a board like this.

Make sure you can eat your garnishes, everything needs to be safe and edible for everyone to enjoy. 

Slice your cheeses and veg in different shapes for an interesting look

kitchen witch tips:

Chose seasonal and organic fruit and veg, it makes all the difference!

Pile your crackers high so they don't take up too much space.

When using marinated veg or pickles, use a small dish or pile them in the middle of the board so oil or marinade does not spill everywhere

Have fun with this board. Create your vision. Imagine you are making this in the Burrow Kitchen with Molly & Arthur. Or little Ginny.