Salted nuts: marcona almonds, pecans, walnuts, or pistachios
Marinated artichokes
Peppadews
Cured meats like prosciutto, salami, chorizo, etc
Fresh herbs, for garnish (rosemary or thyme sprigs, or other)
Instructions
Start by placing the 4 types of cheese onto the board. Slice cheese that slices easily, and add a knife for more crumbly cheese. Place the cheese at angles that look pleasing on the board. (If you have them, cheese markers are nice to label the cheeses.)
Place the ingredients that need bowls into small bowls on the board, like the mustard, olives, and jam or preserves. Make sure the bowls aren’t too large so they don’t crowd the board.
Fill in the remainder of the space on the board with piles of fruit, crackers, breads and other items. Arrange the ingredients with variation in color and shape in mind. Apple slices look nice placed in a fan, and other fruits can be casually dropped in groups. Stems of grapes always make a nice statement. Start with the largest ingredients and gradually fill in the smaller items.
Once the board is mostly complete, tuck in a few sprigs of fresh herbs to complete the tray (like rosemary or thyme sprigs).
Serve immediately, with small plates, forks and toothpicks if desired. The cheese board can sit out for up to 2 hours at room temperature. Make the board up to 24 hours in advance, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate: allow to come to room temperature 30 minutes before serving.