Happy Thursday! I decided to share something new today 🙂 .
Today, I thought I’d remind you of one of my favorite places on Nantucket, show you inside and then share a little bit of food at the end. A little combo of everything I love in one place 🙂 .
In the past, I’ve shared…
…my favorite Fall Charcuterie Board from Trader Joe’s, so today, I thought I’d share…
…our Bartlett’s Farm Charcuterie Board 🙂 .
Welcome to Bartlett’s Farm on Nantucket…
…I have been sharing this special farm/grocery store with you guys for YEARS. There are two “normal” grocery stores on the island, but then several other fun markets/gourmet stores. Bartlett’s is super unique because it’s an actual oceanside farm located on over 100 acres right in the heart of Nantucket.
I’ve decided that this part of the island (the Bartlett’s Farm/Cisco area) is my second favorite. I really, really love it.
Okay, you know that we are board people over here and whipping up charcuterie boards to enjoy before dinner is one of our favorite things. Everyone in my family enjoys a board, so the last time I went to grab ingredients, I thought I’d take you with me, show you my new go-to store (since there is not Trader Joe’s on island) and then share what we’re currently loving…
My photos will certainly not do the store justice, but they have produce, a few boxed/canned items, a wonderful bakery, prepared and made to order food (including really great soups, sandwiches and breakfast treats), a coffee bar, local beers and wines and so much more.
Kensington and I went to the store on Monday, grabbed our items…
…checked out and went home to make a pre-dinner board…
…we were grilling steaks and roasting broccoli for dinner, and this was the perfect accompaniment 🙂 .
Here’s my board breakdown…
I vary my board each and every time, but basically, they’re almost always made up of the same “main” ingredients.
#1: I love a bleu cheese. I always think when it comes to cheese, buy the best within your budget but especially when it comes to bleu. It complements everything on the board from the savory olives to the honey and fruit to the spicy pepper jelly.
#2: Boursin. You can buy Boursin at Trader Joe’s, your normal grocery store and even at Bartlett’s. It’s basically a soft cheese that tastes like an herby dip. Pro-tip, if you melt it into a tomato soup on the stove (a store-bought one like from Trader Joe’s), you will get the MOST AMAZING tomato soup. Try it.
#3: Crackers! We love a variety of crackers (always gluten-free at our house). On this night, we had some cheesy, some herby and some plain.
#4: Sharp Cheddar. A really good sharp cheddar is always, always on our board. Even if we make little boards to take to the beach and don’t include a big variety, sharp cheddar is always on it.
#5: Marinated Olives. You can buy marinated olives at your store. They’re an easy way to add flavor and a bit of heartiness to your board.
#6: Flavored Nuts. These are truffle marcona almonds (delicious!), but any flavorful nut will do. They pair nicely with…
#7: Salted Nuts. We also like a basic, lightly salted almond/cashew too.
#8: Fresh Fruit. Depending on the season, we change out our fruit, but right now, our boards have a lot of raspberries and blueberries. I love them because they require no chopping or peeling.
#9: Prosciutto. I love prosciutto especially in the summer! If you love it too, add it to your board and make my Crispy Prosciutto and Melon Salad 🙂 .
#10: Pepperoni. We almost always use a turkey pepperoni. The size of the pepperoni pairs perfectly with the size of a cracker.
#11: Hot Sopressata. Yes and yes! I love this hot salami especially with the goat cheese and honey!
#12: Popcorn. Easy to eat, adds a nice crunch, you don’t have to chop it and it fills in gaps nicely on a board. We like to use a white cheddar version.
#13: Pepper Jelly. In my opinion, a must with meats and cheeses! Being on Nantucket, we’ve been enjoying a Pepper Cranberry Jelly (this is cranberry country!).
#14: Goat Cheese with a Drizzle of Honey. The perfect sweetness…or if we can find it, I’ll add a hot honey for the perfect bit of heat.
So, that’s our current go-to charcuterie board!
What’s a MUST on your board?! I would LOVE to know!
Also…
…just in case you need a new cutting board. We use the one you see on our kitchen counter…
…the quality and the sturdiness are really fantastic. I’m going to be giving these as gifts too! I’ve been really impressed with the size, durability and how easy it is to clean this board.
Alrighty, I can’t wait to read your charcuterie board “musts”!
See you all tomorrow! xx
Christy says
We love boards over here too! We love putting pecans, drizzled with hot honey, dijon mustard is a must (the seedy kind), black peppered salami, tuscany black pepper cheese, pickles, pickled okra/carrots/cauliflower, and a few jalapeno sausage slices. Yum!
Question: We are getting ready to head back to the beach! How do you pack/store a charcuterie board without it getting gross? Thanks so much!
Love seeing all your Nantucket experiences! I also love that your kiddos do all sorts of fun stuff/experiences, without the dreaded electronics and video games. Do they play video games at all? Just curious. 🙂
Mix and Match Mama says
Great questions! First, no. We made the decision when they were very little not to have video games at our house. Now, they are certainly allowed to play them at friends’ homes (we’re not anti-video games), we just didn’t think we needed them in our house. We do have an old-fashioned arcade machine at our house that we thought they’d love (Santa brought it), but the only people who play it are friends that come over to visit and want to see what old school Tetris or Mario Brothers looks like. For the beach, we pack everything that needs to be cold individually in plastic baggies or plastic containers (no glass since it’s the beach) on ice in our Yeti. Everything stays very fresh! All other dry items go in a separate food bag (not our beach bag with sunscreen and stuff) so that it doesn’t get crushed or broken.
Becky says
I have heard of using tackle boxes with the sections or the plastic containers with sections.
Sheaffer says
Dang that looks good! I LOVE having the Trader Joe’s dried Mandarin oranges or dried apricots on a board, some sort of sweet and spicy nut, and maybe some little crunchy pickles. And of course give me all the different kinds of cheeses and spreads!
Amy says
Love this board..some yummy ideas on here!
One of my faves is the goat cheese log from Trader Joe’s that’s rolled in fresh herbs! 🌿
Also always love basic pecans, walnuts, or both. Another staple is the Trader Joe’s popcorn with herbs and spices…sooo good. (Can you tell I am an herb fan? Ha)
Denise says
We love our boards too, and always keep these staples on hand! We typically have similar items as your boards but also include a stuffed olive (blue cheese or garlic), dried fruit (pineapple or mango are the favs) and Always include a sweeter treat like dark chocolate covered espresso beans or summer favorite dark chocolate coconut almonds from Aldi!
Sharon says
I love adding the sweetened dried orange slices from TJ’s. I think they are a seasonal item (which I may or may not stock up on!)
Ashley says
Have you heard of/seen “snackle boxes”? Basically they are tackle boxes used for charcuterie boards at the beach, lake, anywhere on the go. Super convenient with the individual containers all in one box.
Mix and Match Mama says
I am so googling that RIGHT NOW! Thank you!!!
Jinjer says
Ohmygosh! I just spent an hour looking at snackleboxes on TikTok. lol
Thanks?????
polly pover says
Gotta have lox on my board. Some crunchy veges like pepper strips, carrots, celery, or a nice stuffed celery with lox and cream cheese. How do food prices on the island compare with home?
Stacey Bastress says
I love a good charcuterie board! We like to add dried mangoes, figs, herbed nuts and some chocolate covered blueberries 😍 along with all of the crackers and meats
Jac says
I also add dried fruit (TJ’s sod mango chopped into smaller pieces), candy like licorice, and chocolate (mini pb chocolate cups!) to my boards. Love hot honey – and you don’t need to “find it” – it is so so easy to make.