Bespoke Boxes
Molly made three sizes of Bespoke Boxes
and none were exactly alike. Since there
are no hard and fast rules to putting them
together, they were all a little different.
“Someone might not like smoked goudas,”
she says. “Someone may like pepper jelly.
Someone might want more pepperoni. It
really is all about what you like. And if you’re
making it for someone else, just consider
some of the things they enjoy.”
She always tried to balance sweet, savory,
sharp and salty. She knows many people
enjoy cheddar cheeses so different varieties
would show up in her boxes as well as
salamis and pepperonis.
“Usually I’d try to include a salami, a
hard cheese and a soft cheese,” she says.
“Some people like a Bleu Cheese, but it’s a
strong flavor and it might overtake the box.
And I’d try to stay away from fresh fruit
just because they didn’t last very long. But
if you know that your charcuterie board will
be enjoyed soon after you make it, then you
can certainly include apple slices or grapes
or other fruit that you like.”
Molly always tried to add locally sourced
items when possible, including honey,
jams and jellies. She also included a type
of mustard whether it was a horseradish
mustard or whole grain mustard.
“And I always had a type of hummus and
a type of pimento cheese in there,” she
says. “I feel like those are items that many
people enjoy so you can’t really go wrong
with that. And they go well with whatever
crackers you want to include. The most
important thing is balance. Just make sure
you’ve got different flavors and colors in
there.”