Lepp’s Ultimate Holiday Entertaining Guide

One of the simplest, no-cook and no-bake appetizers if a good old-fashioned charcuterie board, made with a variety of meats, local cheeses, jellies, pickled vegetables and even some sweets too. These boards are not only easy to assemble, they’re also incredibly delicious. Plus, they work great for New Year’s Eve too! Below, we’ve outlined how to build one yourself, or, you can take inspiration from some of our own pairings.
 
A Selection of Lepp’s Gourmet Meats
Portion: 100 – 150 grams of meat per person.
Without a doubt, meat is the star of the show in a charcuterie platter, given that the very definition of charcuterie is “cold cooked meats collectively.” Of course, now we use it to refer to a whole range of foods arranged on a board, complete with cheeses, dips and such. For meat, a good starting point is to select 2-3 smoked or cooked deli meat (sliced), and a sausage or salami (cut into rounds).

Cheeses
Portion: About 200 grams of cheese per person.
1 hard, 1 soft, 1 semi-firm… or as much as your heart desires. Little Qualicum Cheeseworks has great options for hard cheeses, and I’d suggest a Brie or a chevre for the soft. For two people, 2-3 is often enough – but feel free to add more depending on your guest count.

Olives, Balsamics & Pickled Vegetables
Portion: Pickled Vegetables would be 4-5oz per person, oils and balsamics are just enough to drizzle.
A quality balsamic is a wonderful addition to drizzle over a pate, or a mild cheese. Savory or sweet olives are a great addition depending on the theme of your board. We also have Lepp Grown Pickles & Pickled Beans ready to go right by our cheese section in the market.

Jellies, Jams, Relishes & Honey
Portion: About 80 grams per person.
If you’re creating a board for 2-4, you really only need one jam. That being said, you can never have too many options. Depending on your board you either go sweet or spicy, and you can even add a veggie dip for some variety.

Breads & Crackers
Portion: 1-2 types of crackers, or add a baguette.
Some favourite crackers that offer some great crunch without an overbearing flavour are Raincoast Crisps and Gone Crackers. Lepp’s Daily Market sourdough is also a must if you’ve chosen anything with an overly runny consistency – don’t let one drop of goodness get away when you soak it up with this bread.

Nuts, Chocolate & Candies
Portion: About a handful of each, I know, not the most exact measurement. Add more or less as your heart desires.
I recommend choosing one of each, and if you’re looking for a way to really dress up the platter than try your hand at baking some candied nuts. Candies & chocolates are great for a sweet charcuterie, whereas Local Hazelnuts, Almonds and dried fruits (not the candied stuff) work well for a more dinner-like approach.

Fruit
Portion: 4-5oz per person.
Of course in season, local is always best! You just can’t beat the full flavours of fruit that’s been picked the same day, or day before. Otherwise, grapes, melons and strawberries offset the meats and cheeses very well and cuts through the overly sweet chocolates and jams you may add.

    • Sweet & Savoury
    Little Qualicum Island Brie
    Champagne Cheddar
    Prosciutto
    Gone Crackers
    Salt Spring Kitchen Co Onion Thyme Jam (for topping the brie)
    The BOG Cranberry Jalapeno Jelly
    Silver & Green Thyme Olives
    ChocolaTas Salted Caramel
    Laid Back Snacks Praline Almonds
    Wild Mountain Chocolate Creamy-O

    • Breads & Spreads
    Lepp’s Bakehouse Sourdough Bread
    Mt. Lehman Buffalo Cheddar
    Madame Loik Whipped Cheese
    Lepp’s Pickles
    Dip of Choice
    Fume-Eh Smoked Artichoke Tapenade
    Salami of Choice
    Gone Crackers
    Laid Back Snacks Hearty Tamari Mix

    • Cranberry & Wine
    Lepp’s Turkey Cranberry Farmer Sausage Ring
    The Farmhouse Chevre
    Bothwell Red Wine Cheddar Cheese
    Smak Dab Cranberry Wine Mustard
    Lepp’s Pickled Beans
    La Panzanella Crackers
    The BOG Cranberry Crunch Freeze-Dried Cranberries
    Laid Back Snacks Hearty Tamari

    • 4 Ways to Use Lepp’s Bakehouse Sourdough
     
    1. On a Charcuterie Board
    Pair it with your favourite spreads, jellies, and mustards.
    2. Chef Pieter Sourdough Bread Bowl
    Hollow out a loaf of Lepp’s sourdough and fill with Lepp’s Bakehouse’s spinach & artichoke dip. Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for around 30 minutes (until the dip and bread are both warm).
    3. Dip In Balsamics and Olive Oils
    Agrodolce’s Gourmet Balsamics and Olive Oils are the perfect accompaniment to Lepp’s sourdough.
    4. Cranberry Brie Pull Apart Bread

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