OMGoodness, you thought it was a "Meat and Cheese Tray" ....where have you been?

 Well, finally, the Pandemic was good for something!  It brought the USA out of the dark ages and right up alongside the "elite Europeans," and we stopped calling them "Meat and Cheese Trays." (Unless we hadn't been anywhere and didn't know!)

Back in the 15th Century (yes, that long ago), the French created "Charcuterie" (Shaa-koo-tuh-ree) because the shops sold meats that were flesh (Char) and cooked (cuit). The products were made from pork, including the pig's internal organs. Literally translated, it means "products of a fancy French butcher."  

However, the Charcuterie boards have grown to include meats other than pork, and they've become "all the rage." 

I recall, sometime last year, a younger cousin said she had to help with a party and was doing the "Charcuterie board." I asked, "what's that?"  I'd been pretty much secluded, in my house, during the Pandemic - don't go to many things, anyway, and had absolutely no idea what she was talking about.

A few days ago, I was invited by a friend, to go to our local Garden Club meeting where a distant cousin was demonstrating how to make a Charcuterie board. I discovered that's it's pretty easy to make (if you have enough boards and dishes), but it can get expensive and time-consuming. There seemed to be lots of pre-planning involved.

It has become more than a board, more than meats and cheeses, and really ends up being more like a table for grazing. What a concept for a party. No need to make messy sandwiches or dips - just add all types of meats, cheeses of every kind, condiments, olives, pickles, breads, crackers, fruits of every kind - arrange in some kind of order ....or not.....and go for it!!

Now, just about every store sells Charcuterie boards (yes, we called them cutting boards .....and you can use those, too!) The artsy, crafty types are even making the boards and selling them. 

So, google Charcuterie boards, TikTok Charcuterie boards, Amazon Charcuterie boards - they're everywhere. 

However, if someone tells you they're having a Charcuterie demo ....go, learn, and graze, and if you're invited to a party and Charcuterie is mentioned....by all means, GO.  You'll be amazed at how one little word from 15th Century France changed our world!

Getting the table ready.

And the end results look (and are) delicious!