It is officially pumpkin season and I could not be more excited! Trader Joe’s just launched all of their fall goodies for this year and I have to say – I am impressed! I went the day they released their fall products and grabbed whatever they had, but I think everyone had the same idea because the shelves were cleaned out! I have to say I was most excited to try the Pumpkin Cranberry Crisps – and I love the Pumpkin Joe-Joes 🙂
When looking at various fall styles for this year, it is prevalent that the Fall Boho style is for this season! I’ve seen lots of white, neutrals, and burnt oranges incorporated into all of the fall decor, fashion, and DIY projects. So, the big question here – How can I make my charcuterie board go with my boho theme this fall?
The Boho Fall style consists of lots of light colors with pops of muted oranges, reds, and browns – so we will follow that color pattern with our board! The most important thing is to find meats & cheeses that are these muted colors.
Cheeses:
Some great cheeses that we suggest to follow this color scheme are:
*All of these are available at Trader Joes*
-Brie
-Manchego (Spanish Sheep’s Milk)
-English Coastal Cheddar
-Tennessee Whiskey, Gold, Chardonnay, or Raspberry Ale Bellavitano
–White Stilton Cheese with Dried Apricots or Dried Cranberries
–Chevre with Honey
-Italian Truffle Cheese
Pro Tip: Bellavitano has any array of amazing flavors and colors – so do your research and find a flavor that you know that you and your guests will enjoy!
To learn how to make a Brie Cutout, visit our Blog “Hot To: Brie Cutouts“
Lighter Meats:
When looking for a few meats to include in our charcuterie selection, it is generally a good idea to stick with pink or very muted pink or red. I have curated a list of my suggestions, but again, this is YOUR board – so pick what you like!
-Hard or Genoa Salami
-Spicy Sopressata
-Prosciutto
-Dry Coppa
-Peppered Salami
-Calabrese
-Sliced Hard or Genoa Salami (to make a salami rose)
Crackers & Breads:
If you are doing a grazing table, I would most definitely suggest including a sliced french baguette for your guests to enjoy. If you are doing a small charcuterie tray, you could include a sliced baguette on the side, or purchase a mini baguette, slice that, and incorporate that into the board.
As for crackers, we don’t want any crazy or vibrant colors, but you still have the ability to find fun flavors that are still a neutral color. As I discussed earlier in this blog, Trader Joes released a Pumpkin Cranberry Crisp, which would be a great edition to your fall board! Other great options include Trader Joes Savory Thins, Multigrain Crackers, or Pepper and Poppy Seed Crackers. There are so many great options out there, so be creative and find some unique ones to include! I always include a box of water crackers, as well, for simplicity!
Fruit:
On a traditional board, we are working to incorporate as many colors as possible, but because we are going for a muted, neutral style, we won’t be including all of the fruits that we typically incorporate. Typically, we use green grapes for their vibrant color, but for a fall board, consider using purple or black grapes if you still want to include grapes on your board. Other great fruit options are raspberries, strawberry halves, mini apples, blackberries, or blueberries. I have even seen people incorporate dried mango or other dried fruit, so especially for fall, consider including dried fruit!
Garnishes & Mini Pumpkins:
I absolutely love when fall comes around because then we can incorporate mini pumpkins into our boards! These pumpkins can be easily added to help add color, texture, and height to your board, and there are so many fun colored pumpkins to choose from! My personal favorites are the mini white, orange, or the spotted pumpkins!
There are many great garnish options for grazing tables to help fill in all of the extra spaces and complete your board. Here are some of my favorites:
-Roasted Almonds
-White Chocolate Covered Pretzels
-Dark or Milk Chocolate Almonds
-Pistachios
-Maple Leaf Cookies
You could even include candy corn, candy pumpkins, or other fall sweet treats as a garnish option for your board! Trader Joes carries chocolate mousse pumpkins – and our clients love when we incorporate them into their boards!
There are so many ways to make your board unique for the fall season and I can’t wait to see your creative vision take flight as you build your own board!
For a complete, step-by-step tutorial of how to build traditional charcuterie boards, brunch boards, and grazing tables check out our online, self-paced class Charcuterie Made Simple! For only $39 you can access all of our video courses, shopping lists, portion guides, and other valuable resources