Summer is almost upon us, and if you’re out and about at a concert, festival, picnic, or looking for food options to take with you out into the wild, wild, wilderness, a great and trending option is a charcuterie board.

Excuse me, a what?

Charcuterie, a French tradition (of course), is the “art” of preparing and displaying cured meats and cheeses. In other words, its a fancy meat and cheese tray.  Those crazy French.

But it’s so much more.  A well-rounded charcuterie board contains spreads, dips, cut veggies, fruit, crackers and nuts.  It’s basically a mini-grazing table.  The perfect “snack food” accompaniment for wine, beer, or any other type of beverage.  You can find them at fancy parties, backyard gatherings, or even portable versions for pick-up at your local grocery store or price club.  Energetic entrepreneurs have even created small businesses that specifically tailor to making custom ones.

They are easy to assemble, and are a perfect alternative option to a heavy weeknight dinner or weekend lunch.  My wife and I make our own all the time, and we have dubbed ours “The Nine”, as we pilfer our pantry and fridge for nine separate items (each placed in a separate small bowl) and served alongside a box or two of crackers – the breakdown as follows:

• Two types of “meats” (or some sort of protein-based spread, like hummus or a seafood dip)
• Two types of vegetables
• Two types of cheeses
• One type of fruit
• One “sweet” item (like preserves mixed with cottage cheese or cream cheese)
• One “sour” item (like dill pickles or olives)
• Optional:  Some whole-grain mustard in a small dish

It’s a great way to clean out the fridge and eliminate a lot of half eaten dips or sauces, as well as gets rid of that last half of a head of broccoli, block of cheese, or that handful of leftover cherry tomatoes.  Pop open a bottle of wine, mix up a gin and tonic, turn up that Spotify music play list, and head for the porch for an evening of snacking, libations, and good conversation.

Creative folks are taking charcuterie to new heights all the time.  I’ve recently seen fishing tackle boxes at concert events, but instead of red wrigglers, sinkers, and lures, each compartment in the box (dubbed a “snackle box”) contains a different snack item.  It’s portable – and convenient.  Pure genius.

So as the warmer weather of spring turns to summer, if you’re stuck for a lunch or dinner idea – or need a food option for your picnic or trail hike, grab a board or plate (maybe even a tackle box – a clean one, though), open up that fridge, and create your own charcuterie assortment to snack the afternoon or evening away.

Happy grazing!