Chic Readers, we’re event planners here for goodness sakes and even though we love reading about things BESIDES the events we plan, the masses keep asking us… where are the event and wedding planning tips?? And masses, you’re absolutely right, shame on us! So I thought I’d start teaching you something I learned how to do recently… artisanal cheeseboard!
Say Cheese!
Kurtz and I are cheese fanatics, unabashed stalkers of brie, smoked gouda, feta, cheddar… we don’t discriminate, we love them all! So a party built around a central cheese hub is a dream come true… throw in a couple bottles of Pinot Noir and I just died and went to heaven!
At a recent party a beautiful and talented young woman created this spread for us for cocktail hour and I just had to figure out how to do one myself. So I asked… and found out. The key to this one is the feeling of oppulence! Everything is stacked and stuffed so it seems like it’s practically falling off the plates there’s so much of it. Really, it can all be accomplished with a trip to Trader Joe’s and an assortment of baskets and trays. Here are my steps:
1. Choose your table, or surface to set up on. The size of the party/table will determine how much food you’ll need to fill it. The whole idea here is that the table is over-flowing so choose something smaller if you need to. Set it up in a central location where guests can easily get to and from the table without causing traffic jams.
2. Gather your best baskets, trays, buckets, plates, whatever… I think aiming for an Italian, rustic vibe is best but honestly anything can work. The best is just a mix of all sorts of shapes and sizes. This stylist used a giant piece of remnant granite as a platter that I still covet.
3. Go shopping! Hit Trader Joes or even your local grocery store for items. Honestly, you can’t go wrong here, just buy variety.
* Cheese: brie, gouda, aged cheddar, etc (ask the store clerk if you’re not familiar) * Fresh Veggies: carrots, asparagus, bell pepper, green beans, cucumber, peppers, olives (think veggie platter) *Dips: Hummus, Tabouli, Cucumber, etc *Breads: pita, breadsticks, crustini, crackers of every kind *Meats: Silami, turkey, ham *Chocolates: take a trip to Sees and pick out some delectable favorites *Fruit: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, extra points if they’re covered in chocolate, also grab some whole fruit (watermelon, apples, pineapple for decoration)
4. Start setting your table. Use this picture as a guide…
- The far left corner is our anchor, it’s literally a vase from the kitchen filled with eucalyptus branches from the clients yard
- Grab small boxes, vases, pots or whatever and use them as base to give your platters height… just place them next to your anchor piece and try to build downhill from there. Just make sure your platters are stable. People are going to be grabbing things off of it and we’d hate for it to tip.
- Fill your baskets with clean kitchen towels or tissue paper and then put your bread, or veggies on top. This makes it seem full, just make sure the towel is hidden under the food.
- Fill a ton of smaller containers and bowls with your baby items like olives, peppers, chocolates. These work great to fill the space in between your larger pieces so guests can’t see the pots you’re using as risers.
- You’ll have to mess around with the positioning, don’t get discouraged, just keep trying one platter here and the next one there until you like the look. Try and get them as close together as possible (this helps build the look) and fill the spaces in between with your smaller bowls, stacks of cocktail plates, as well as more greenery, floral, the larger fruit you purchased.
It might seem daunting but since most of this stuff is already pre-sliced when purchased it’s actually relatively easy. I did one myself on Christmas Eve and honestly, our guests LOVED it!
Please give it a shot and let me know how it turns out!
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