Charcuterie has been all the rage for holiday parties for years. But you can make your get-together stand out this year by combining seasonal and locally inspired ingredients prepared stylishly and with exceptional presentation. Breezie Campbell, owner of Socially Cured, is a local expert par excellence in this food field, and she shares how you can create beautiful and unique boards for friends and family during the upcoming holiday season and all year long.
How did you get interested in charcuterie?
After overcoming a loss that rocked my world in 2019, a beautiful redemption story was in the making. No one can prepare a 32-year-old woman for what I faced. After losing my best friend, spouse, and partner and becoming a single parent to two littles under five, I decided I was not going to let grief and loss define our story. Instead, I found purpose through passion.
The charcuterie market was becoming all the craze in 2019-2020, but Socially Cured was the first charcuterie delivery business in Boerne. Even with the pandemic halting all our lives, people still found joy in charcuterie boards. It seemed to bring some normalcy to all the chaos and uncertainty.
With a vision of bringing family, friends, and loved ones together, Socially Cured was born. It is my joy and privilege to bring people together with beautiful food, conversation, and experiences that will last a lifetime.
Tell us about different ways of doing charcuterie.
Charcuterie is fun because it’s truly an art. I love to experiment with different ways to display — whether it’s on vintage trays, old pieces of rustic wood or even creating small charcuterie bites in cups, bamboo boats, or brass goblets and martini glasses. Getting creative and watching a display come to life is fascinating.
But, let’s talk about “grazing.” There is nothing more captivating than walking into an event and seeing a six-to-12-foot “Graze Table!” It’s a charcuterie board on steroids! We love to incorporate boards, baskets, and lush foliage to capture the beauty and esthetics of what we’ve created. How amazing is it to see clusters of grapes cascading off baskets, fresh berries scattered throughout, bowls and bowls of different olives, nuts of all varieties filled in every crevice, artisan crackers pouring out of baskets, cheeses, meats, crudités with whipped feta… And if it’s a real celebration you may find a literal cheese cake nearby. Yes, you heard that right… real cheese in cake form!
What are your favorite ingredients to include in each type of charcuterie board?
I love that every season sources fresh new products that I can incorporate with each creation. I’m a huge fan of apricots, peaches, cherries and figs in the summer, and persimmons, pears, and pomegranate in the fall and early winter.
You typically won’t see a Socially Cured display without some of our most coveted cheeses, which includes: Fromager d’Affinois Triple Cream Brie, Beemster Gouda, Bellavitano Sartori, Cypress Grove’s Humboldt Fog and Point Reyes Blue Cheese. The flavors are captivating! I have never met a person who doesn’t like charcuterie; there is truly something for everyone’s pallet.
Chutneys, jams, and honey are also great additions to any display. It’s fun for guests to experiment with different flavors and pairings. Who knew blue cheese and honey would be so delicious together?! Finish up your boards and displays by adding in some florals and herbs for extra color and texture.
How do you decide on the amounts of ingredients for the number of people?
The typical rule of thumb when curating a charcuterie board or “graze table” is 3 oz of cheese and 2oz of meat per person. Add an extra ounce or two if this is a full meal. For your typical dinner party appetizer remember the “3-3-3-3 Rule.” Three cheeses, three meats, three nuts or starches, and three accompaniments. Don’t overthink it, just have fun and get creative!
Socially Cured
Sociallycured.com | @socially_cured
830-310-8380 | info@sociallycured.com
"It is my joy and privilege to bring people together with beautiful food, conversation, and experiences that will last a lifetime."