There’s an art to creating a delicious charcuterie board, says Dan Kovacevic, owner of Europa Charcuterie in Parma. Go beyond a variety of cheese and meat and include fixings such as pickles, mustard, crackers, bread and fruit. “Aim to hit these different taste and texture profiles,” he says. “Salty, smoky, savory, sweet, soft and crunchy. It’s a good rule of thumb for a well-rounded board.” Here’s our ultimate CLE board.
1. Old Brooklyn Cheese Co. Treadway Creek, $23 per pound
This raw milk mild cheese has a semi-firm consistency because it’s smoothed into a mold by hand instead of pressured into shape. “You can taste different grasses and what’s in the pasture that the cows are eating,” says owner Michael Januska. oldbrooklyncheesecompany.com
2. Montana Girl Mustard Sweet Kick, $4.99 per 10-ounce jar
This hand-poured mustard begins sweet thanks to pure cane sugar, then takes on a tangy kick at the end. “There’s no horseradish in it, but that’s the flavor profile,” explains co-owner Don Smiley. montanagirlmustard.com
3. Lake Erie Creamery Lake Erie Pearls, $14.99
These hand-rolled goat cheese beauties come nestled in a fragrant rosemary olive oil bath. Either pop them whole in your mouth or spread on a cracker for a creamy bite. lecreamery.com
4. Randy's Pickles Sideburns, $8.99 per 24-ounce jar
Cut up these grilled pickles in order to make them more manageable — and so you can still see the grill marks. “They’re the perfect blend of smoky, savory and sweet with a bit of char from grill,” says co-owner Andrew Rainey. randyspickles.com
5. Europa Charcuterie Lonza, $19.99 per pound
Ask for paper-thin slices of this dry-cured, lightly smoked pork loin. Its prosciutto-like taste adds the ideal smooth-as-salt contrast to strong, tangy cheeses. europacharcuterie.com
6. Yellow House Cheese Styx Mountain, $26 per pound
This Italian pecorino-style cheese starts with raw sheep’s milk. “It has a saltiness to it that balances well with sweetness of fruits or preserves,” says co-owner Kevin Henslee. “On a cracker, it pairs well with a piece of thinly sliced cured meat. yellowhousecheese.com
7. King Nut Honey Sriracha Peanuts, $2.49 per 16-ounce bag
With a sweet touch of honey and spicy dusting of Sriracha, these oil-roasted peanuts serve as a welcome counterpoint to soft cheeses and salty meats. kingnut.com
8. Saucisson Duck Rillette, $8 per 4-ounce jar
Braised duck meat is whipped with its own fat along with sherry vinegar, mustard seed and herbs. Let this super-rich, spreadable meat soften for about 20 minutes before serving on crackers. “It has a different texture than everything else,” says Penny Barend, co-owner of Saucisson. saucissoncleveland.com
9. Le Cracker Whole-grain Sourdough Spelt Crackers, $9 per 6-ounce bag
These crunchy crackers get their nutty flavor from a heritage variety of spelt. The sourdough adds a tang not found in most store-bought varieties, which makes this cracker every bit as interesting and tasty as whatever you put on top. lecracker.com
10. Pope's Kitchen Fig and Cocoa Spread, $9 per 8-ounce jar
While fig is the headliner, its co-star — 70 percent dark chocolate from France — offers a delectable turn. Lemon juice also makes a guest appearance to help brighten the flavor of those divinely rich figs. popeskitchen.com
A Charcuterie Board We Love: Lane 17 Wood Design Co.
With options in walnut, cherry or maple, these locally sourced hardwood boards ($50-$95) from Lane 17 Wood Design Co. make any arrangement of meat and cheese look elegant. “I like to get funky with shapes, sizes, contours and lines,” says owner Alex Forbes. lane17.com
