The Perfect Valentine’s Day Charcuterie Board with Maytag Blue Cheese

Valentine’s Day is exactly what the heart needs. It’s decadent covered chocolates for the soul, new pretty pink shoes to cover those dainty toes, and fresh blooms bringing memories of spring every time the wind blows.  St Valentine is long remembered for reminding us to reaffirm our courtly love to those whom we care most for in the world, but often forget to tell.

This year as most of us gear up for Valentine’s Day, it will likely look a little different.  With Covid still holding a firm grip on our lives (insert my raging disdain here), many of you like myself may choose to skip all the fuss and just stay in.  Honestly, when I was newly married we did the whole 4 course meal, gifts, dozen pink roses bit, but……we quickly grew out of that phase and realized we’d rather save the money and either go out to eat on another cheaper day of the week or cook a fun meal together at home.  Whether Justin and I stay in or go out, the evening always ends with a binge session of chocolate and my all-time fav flick The Notebook.

I decided this year that we will stay in with the girls and make my favorite and easiest go-to appetizer, a charcuterie board.  So here’s the thing about charcuterie boards: they are pretty hard to mess up!  I mean it, the more you add to them the prettier they turn out and the more options your guests have.  I’ll teach you a few tricks of the trade so you can be sure to wow any loved one or guest.  If any of you are wanting to create your own board at home, I have great news!  Two of you lucky followers will be sent an extra special gift from my favorite cheese manufacturer Maytag Dairy Farms.   They are known to be true cheese pioneers and would love to gift you a decadent basket filled with fresh handcrafted cheeses (their original Maytag Blue, in the signature silver foil, and their new release Maytag Farm Reserve an even bolder blue with a natural rind wrapped in blue foil) rich honey comb, pecan nut cakes, old fashioned preserves, honey drizzle and more!  Maytag Dairy Farm is a company near and dear to my heart because they are based out of my home state of Iowa where my grandfather used to run his own cheese and whey factory.  So I guess you can say cheese is in my blood!

9 Essential Tips To Create The Perfect Valentine’s Day Charcuterie Board

1. First and foremost you need to invest in a pretty board.  It does not need to be expensive, but I always suggest going a little larger than you think you might need because they fill up rather quickly.  I often prefer older wooden vintage looking boards because they have that certain je ne sais quoi.
2. Next, decide on your theme and what your focal point will be.  Is it a holiday focused board?  Will it be based 0n a particular season, occasion, or rather a specific color palette?
3. An integral part to each board is selecting the perfect cheeses and hands down my favorite cheese is Maytag Blue cheese.  It is rich and creamy with the perfect amount of bite.  Depending on the size of your board, it is common to offer 2-4 different types of cheeses, within that you want to be sure you have an array of textures and flavors.  Try including a mix of a savory/salty items offering cheeses firm and hard, semisoft, soft, fresh, blue veined.  Examples of each firm and hard: Cheddar, Assiago, Monchego, Romano, Provolone, Semisoft:  Havarti, Gouda, Monterey Jack, Muenster, Soft: Brie, Queso, Feta, Fresh: Ricotta, Mascarpone, Cream Cheese, Goat Cheese, Blue Veined:  Gorgonzola, Blue Stilton, Danish Blue, Roquefort.  Another easy way to remember picking out cheeses is by following the old mnemonic saying: “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.” This is simple and easy: one aged, one fresh, one from a different country and a finally a good blue cheese.
4. Pick a variety of cured meats and nuts.  Prosciutto, capicola, salami are all great options because they suit a variety of palletes and can be left out for a period of time.  Nuts come in an assortment of roasted favors and fill in empty spaces nicely.
5. Fruit are great fillers to blend in any empty space.  I often leave the vines and stems on mine and just let people pick them off giving the board a more rustic feel.  Grapes, apricots, figs, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries offer a nice color story to any board.
6. Spreads and pickled vegetables are good additions to take the the flavor of the cheeses to the next level.  Try experimenting with honey comb, berried jams, olive tapenades, and truffled oils.  Those along side with some pickled veggies and olives are the true embodiment of sweet and savory.
7. Sweets like candies, chocolate truffles and cookies are a perfect way to transition your board from appetizer all the way through to dessert.  If you are anything like me, I welcome dessert in place of any meal.
8. Crackers and baguettes are a good filler to frame your cheeses and offer crunch and color diversity.  Think of them as the vehicle to getting the cheese into your guests mouth.
9. Dress it up!  Ornamentation is an integral part to making your board stand out from the rest.  Clip some rosemary from the yard or even cut a few flowers in the garden.  By adding some brightness and color, it will give your board life!

For this post I was focusing on a more sweet and savory palate really indulging in the sweets aspect to celebrate Valentine’s Day.  But if a cheese board might not be your thing, try out this tasty dessert I created with my Maytag Dairy gift box!

Jamberry Blue Cheese Tarte

Ingredients serves 4-6:

• 1 Box Puff Pastry
• 1/3 cup Blue Cheese
• 1 Egg
• Raspberry Jam Preserves
• 1/4 cup Confection Sugar
• Dark Chocolate Drizzle
• Heart Shaped Linzer Cookie Cutter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Thaw pastry dough according to box and let rest on counter for at least 30 min
3. Mix Maytag Blue Cheese, sugar and egg with mixer
4. Flatten pastry dough then cut out hearts using linzer cookie cutters (solid heart on bottom)
5. Place small spoonful of cheese mixture on heart followed by a small dollop of jam, cover with the top heart part with the hole cutout. Seal edge with a fork.
6. Bake for 12-15 min or until golden
7. Sprinkle with powdered sugar then drizzle with melted dark chocolate and serve

A big thank you to my friends at Maytag Dairy Farms for partnering with me and helping me gift a few of you some tasty treats this Valentine’s.  Check out all of their products and creative recipes here!

A wise woman once said, “Good cheese always leads to good conversation.”

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