Some cheeses, slices of prosciutto and salami, dabs of mustard and honey, small amounts of dried and pickled vegetables accompanied by crackers: Assemble these ingredients just right and you have a charcuterie board – and more.
“I think of charcuterie boards almost as a conversation piece,” said Jennifer Struik, an instructor with GRCC’s Secchia Institute for Culinary Education. “Discussions are stimulated by bringing food into the conversation, and it starts a chain reaction to discuss other topics. They can be kind of an educational tool.”
Struik led a livestream lesson in March from the Custer Alumni House kitchen on the art of creating a show-stopping charcuterie board. The Grand Rapids Community College Alumni Association shared a list of ingredients to have ready so participants could follow Struik through each step of the process.
Struik, who earned her Culinary Arts, Personal Chef and Chef Training certifications at GRCC, is very comfortable in front of the camera. An executive chef with Root Functional Medicine and creator of the popular “Jenny with the Good Eats” Instagram account, she was a winner in “Supermarket Stakeout” in 2020.