Rustic Italian Farmhouse Board (Print version)

An abundant Italian spread featuring cheeses, meats, bread, olives, and fresh herbs in a rustic style.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cheeses

01 - 7 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano, broken into large chunks
02 - 7 oz Pecorino Toscano, cut into wedges
03 - 5.3 oz Taleggio, torn into rustic pieces

→ Cured Meats

04 - 5.3 oz Prosciutto di Parma, loosely piled
05 - 4.2 oz Finocchiona salami, thickly sliced
06 - 4.2 oz Coppa, arranged in rustic folds

→ Bread

07 - 1 large rustic Italian loaf (such as ciabatta), torn into rough pieces

→ Accompaniments

08 - 1 cup Castelvetrano olives
09 - 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained
10 - 1 cup marinated artichoke hearts, quartered
11 - 1 small bunch fresh grapes or figs, halved
12 - 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
13 - Fresh rosemary sprigs, for garnish
14 - Coarse sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

# Directions:

01 - Place cheeses on a large wooden board, breaking or tearing into irregular chunks and rustic wedges for visual appeal.
02 - Loosely pile prosciutto and coppa; arrange salami slices in generous, overlapping layers.
03 - Tear bread into rough, uneven pieces and scatter evenly around the board.
04 - Place olives, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and fruit in ample piles between cheeses and meats.
05 - Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over bread and cheeses; garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs.
06 - Lightly season with coarse sea salt and cracked black pepper. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's almost impossible to mess up, yet looks like you've spent hours planning. The secret is that rustic means beautifully imperfect.
  • Everyone finds something they love. The beauty of a board is that your friend who loves salty things gravitates to the prosciutto while someone else reaches for the figs and cheese together.
  • It requires zero cooking, so you can spend your energy on setting a beautiful table instead of standing over a stove.
02 -
  • Temperature is everything. Cheeses and cured meats should rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Cold cheese is closed off, reluctant to share its flavor. Warm cheese is generous and complex.
  • Buy whole pieces and break or tear them yourself. Pre-cut, pre-packaged cheese and meat lose their character. The act of tearing tells a story of abundance and generosity that neat slices simply cannot.
03 -
  • Arrange your board no more than 30 minutes before serving. It looks most beautiful at its freshest, when colors are bright and textures haven't started to compromise.
  • If you're serving many guests, make two smaller boards rather than one enormous one. People tend to cluster, and a smaller board lets more hands reach more things without awkwardness.
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