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Is there anything better than summer charcuterie on a warm evening? On this bright, beautiful cheese board, heaps of sun-kissed ripe fruit and creamy fresh cheeses are rounded out by salty olives and charcuterie. Pour a glass of dark, fruity rosé for a perfect pairing with this summertime app or snack.

For other summer charcuterie board ideas, try my Roasted Tomatoes and Whipped Burrata Dip, Caprese Melon Skewers, Watermelon, Feta & Mint Salad, Antipasto Skewer Board, and Panzanella Salad.

Plus, learn more about wine and cheese pairing with my Wine & Cheese 101.

Summer Charcuterie & Cheese Board Tips

Some cheese board essentials:

• Use a mix of hard cheeses and soft cheeses (and a variety of cuts!)
• Stick to seasonal produce and try to incorporate a variety of colors. 
• Keep the juicy fruits away from the crackers! The heat will make the fruit leak, which can make the crackers soggy.
• Use bowls for the accoutrements and dips
• Serve your boards at room temperature; they shouldn’t be too hot or too cold! If you’re serving your board outdoors in the heat, avoid fragile fruits, like raspberries, and go for harder meats and cheeses. (Pro tip: you can use a special charcuterie-on-ice board to try and keep the more temperature-sensitive things cooler, similar to how I do on my Seafood Platter.) 

For a more in-depth guide, check out my Charcuterie 101.

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Summer Charcuterie Board Ingredients

I love this cheese board because it’s so produce-forward that you can really tailor it to your tastes and/or location. For instance, make it more tropical by swapping out the berries and stone fruit for pineapple, coconut, passionfruit, and guava! 

Cheese

• Fresh mozzarella balls (like ciliegine)
• Julianna, sliced (this is a semi-hard aged goat cheese dusted with Herbes de Provence and wildflowers)
• Fromager d’Affinois
• Trader Joe’s Mini Basque, sliced into triangles

Charcuterie

• Speck
• Prosciutto

Produce

• Bing cherries
• Cantaloupe, sliced
• Peaches, sliced
• Blackberries
• Raspberries

Carbs

• Breadsticks
• Rustic Bakery Citrus, Ginger & Thyme Artisan Crisp Crackers
• Rustic Bakery Flat Bread Bites

Accoutrement & Garnish

• Roasted and salted in-shell pistachios
• Honey with honeycomb
• Castelvetrano olives
• Raspberry jam
• Fresh basil

Note: Not an olive lover? Just give these buttery Castelvetrano olives a try! I call them the gateway olive because they are known to make people who think they hate olives like olives. (It’s not just me, see?)

Dairy-Free Cheeses for Summer Charcuterie

If you or your guests are vegan or prefer not to eat dairy, here are some dairy-free swaps you can try:

• For the fresh mozzarella: try cutting up a block of vegan mozzarella, like Treeline’s Non-Dairy Cashew Mozzarella
• For the Jilianna: try something herby like Rebel Cheese’s Tomato Herb Fromage or Dairy-Free Boursin, or lean more into the goat cheese with Treeline’s Original Vegan Goat-Style Cashew Cheese
• For the Fromager d’Affinois: try this vegan Cave-Aged Brie from Rebel Cheese
• For the herby Mini Basque: try Treeline’s Classic Aged Artisanal Cashew Cheese or Smoky Gouda Style from Nuts for Cheese

How To Make a Summer Charcuterie & Cheese Board

1. Bowls: Add the olives, mozzarella, pistachios, jam, and honey to separate small bowls or ramekins and place them throughout the board to anchor it. Add the breadsticks to a taller cup and place on the board.
2. Cheese: Place the cheeses in separate sections throughout the board.
3. Crackers: Arrange the Artisan crackers on the sides of the board and the flat bread bites next to the honey.
4. Charcuterie: Wrap some cantaloupe slices in prosciutto and place in the center of the board. Then place remaining prosciutto in another pile around the jam.
5. Fruit: Arrange the peaches and remaining cantaloupe around the bowls. Fill in the holes with the cherries, blackberries, and raspberries. 
6. Garnish: Finish by adding basil on top of the soft cheese.

Summer Fruit: Keep It In Season

I like to shop seasonally for a few reasons! It helps carry the seasonal theme, the fruit is fresher and more nutritious, and it’s also more sustainable. Here are some other summer fruits to try:

• Apples
• Pears
• Apricots
• Bananas
• Blueberries
• Mangos
• Honeydew melon
• Plums
• Strawberries
• Pineapple
• Watermelon

Pro tip: to pick ripe fruit, focus on the smell and whether or not there are bruises/blemishes! Fruit texture ranges, so an apple is best when it’s firm, whereas a plum is best when it’s tender to the touch.

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Summer Charcuterie Wine Pairing Recommendations

This board is from my deck: The Wine & Cheese Board Deck! It’s all about wine & cheese pairings… here’s a little taste:

“All the reasons why stone fruit goes well with fresh cheeses like mozzarella and goat cheese explain why deep, fruity rosé makes the great pour here: The acidity helps cut through the richness of the cheese while the berry notes resonate with the fruit. 

For a different texture but the same creamy vibe, I like Fromager d’Affinois, a super-rich French triple cream that presents like a mild Brie (it’s my gateway “Brie” for people who are skeptical of bloomy rind cheeses), which loves a drizzle of honey or ripe berries. 

The raspberry-cherry notes in the wine also work well with more savory flavors like olives, prosciutto, and an herbes de Provence-studded cheese like Julianna, a gorgeous mild aged goat cheese that adds a bit of depth to the board.”

• Pairing approach: contrasting
• Wine flavors: cherry, melon, floral
• Wine Choice: fruity dark rose, like a rosato from Italy
• For alternatives: Prosecco or a sparkling rosé would also make a fun, fresh, and light complement

For the full download on how to pair cheese and wine with 50 perfect pairings, grab a copy of The Wine & Cheese Board Deck. Available now. Grab one for yourself and another to gift. It makes for a great hostess, bridal shower, wedding, birthday, and holiday gift.

More Summer Charcuterie Pairings

If rosé isn’t your thing, try one of these:

Alcoholic

• Aperol Spritz
• Tinto de verano
• Tomato martini 
• Ranch water
• Margarita
• Shandy

Non-Alcoholic

• Arnold palmer
• Lemonade
• Spindrift Sparkling Water
• Agua Fresca

Show Me Your Boards

I hope this post inspires you to make a summer cheese board. Nothing makes me happier than seeing the beautiful spreads you create from my tips. If you make something inspired by this post, please tag me at @ainttooproudtomeg so I can see and share! 

And, If you liked this recipe, please rate and review.