I really like cheese and meat, and together, they are  and easy and quick start to any meal.  I realized that some people think that they are too fancy, but I think of them as being a fun snack assortment.  Whenever I have a good glass of wine all I think of is some great cheese and some good meat.  So with that being said, lets talk about some good cheese/charceuterie trays.  Pictured below you will see 2 restaurant trays and one that my good friend made.  They all look amazing, all go great with wine, but the one my friend made lets you know that you don’t have to go out and can make a nice tray at home.

The first one pictured below was a tray that I tried at 21c’s Counting House in downtown Durham.  I love the Counting House’s use of the tray.  It features assorted cheeses, great spreads and if pickles are involved you can consider me sold. However the highlight was the amazing goats milk cheese in its soft greatness, oh yeah and lets not forget the rabbit spread. (Yes I said rabbit) It will melt in your mouth. So if you are ever in downtown Durham and want a pretty good cheese tray, check out the Counting House bar located in 21c.

The second tray shown below is a charceuterie tray from Local 22 restaurant in Durham NC.  This one didn’t feature cheese, but it did have a delicious trout spread, that was seasoned perfectly.  It also featured pickled okra.  I don’t even like okra regularly but this was a delight.

The bottom tray pictured, was creatively done by one of my good friends.  This was a very creative tray and delicious.  Since it was made at home it lets you know that you don’t always have to go out for something like this.  Find a few things that you like and make it fun. This was a beautiful tray and everything on it was thought out by the maker.  I am glad that I have great and creative friends.

So I am sure that you are ready to make your own cheese/charceuterie tray.

Step 1: Choose some cheeses/crackers/spreads that you like

Step 2: Find a plate or platter  that you want to place them on

Step 3: Grab a delicious drink that makes you feel good

Step 4: Arrange your “goodies” on the tray

Step 5: Enjoy!!!