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What's for Dinner v19.44 - In Praise of Charcuterie Boards and Discount Grocers [1]
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Date: 2025-05-03
I’ve had this one sitting in my drafts for a good long while, mostly b/c I was waiting for summer. However, the looming economic crisis makes it all the more relevant. There is also the need for self-care, which is more important than ever these days.
Currently, I make a good living, but that was not always the case. I was once a poor grad student, and my first "career” job was as a teacher in a bankrupt school district with the lowest salaries in the entire San Francisco Bay Area (an area with one of the highest costs of living in the US). I therefore long ago developed the habit of shopping at Grocery Outlet, a discount grocery chain. They buy excess inventory and manufacturing overruns, which enables them to sell cheap.
I still shop at GO, as I call it for short. Shopping there is a crapshoot, more or less, because much of their inventory changes constantly, so you can't count on getting more of something you liked last time you were there. Mostly I buy non-perishables and vitamin supplements, although they have a decent selection of meat and dairy. I used to get my wine there, but it wasn't great so I switched to Trader Joe’s. I also get beer at GO sometimes. I do not, however, buy produce there, as it goes bad even faster than what I get at Safeway—unless I plan to use it all immediately.
In preparation for this diary, I did some research into other discount grocers. Aldi and Trader Joe’s were two names that came up, as did Safeway, which I have trouble believing—and I don’t know about Aldi, since they’re not around here. (I’m sure each region of the country has different discount grocers.) Part of the appeal of GO for me is that it’s smart to save money, and part is that GO actually has things that “regular” grocery stores do not. My favorite example is genuine Italian prosciutto, which ain't cheap, even at GO, but it's a helluva lot cheaper than it is anywhere else. And you can’t make saltimbocca (a long-time favorite and regular dinner) without prosciutto. Hopefully, you can find a discount grocery near you; GO is only in 10 states, although it looks like they are expanding, most recently in OH. (Note: the GO of which I speak is unrelated to the same-name stores in FL/AL/GA; not dissing them, I’m just not familiar)
Now as to why I bring up GO—well, partly b/c I wanted to share, but also b/c it is a great place to find ingredients for the actual food part of this post: charcuterie boards. Sometimes a charcuterie board is just meat, sometimes it’s more. But as I have discovered, an (expanded) charcuterie board can make an excellent appetizer or even an entire meal in itself. Like my tartiflette diary, it’s gourmet food at non-gourmet prices—a charcuterie board in a fancy-shmancy restaurant can run $20 or more and might barely count as an appetizer! So I have learned to make my own, spending far less and getting far more than I would get at a restaurant. Sometimes a charcuterie board is lunch in and of itself for me and the family. The other advantage is that you’re probably not going to eat all the ingredients you buy in one sitting, which also greatly defrays the cost. (Spoiler alert: you’re not legally required to use a board, which is good, b/c mine broke a while back)
The charcuterie boards I make typically consist of several categories of foods:
meats
cheeses
dried fruits
nuts
crackers (or bread in a pinch)
fig spread
mozzarella made from water buffalo milk; fig spread; Bulgarian feta, which now costs more than $3.49
The meats I use most often are prosciutto, Serrano ham, and a wide variety of salamis and pepperonis. Sometimes I will see three-meat packages at the store, which is perfect for this. Cheeses are too numerous to list, but include English Wensleydale (which has apricots; I’ve had a variety that has cranberries), smoked gouda, parmesan, feta, various jacks and cheddars, mozzarella, and many others. I tend to use block cheese instead of slices, but either one works.
Dried fruit: apricots, of course, but also cranberries, strawberries, blueberries, peaches. Not raisins, though; not to be a snob, but that’s just seems too ordinary. Gourmet crackers, especially if they’re flavored with rosemary. And fig spread is simply a must.
And with any board one makes, the number of flavor combinations one can create are practically unlimited. A bit of Serrano ham with smoked gouda; a cracker with fig spread; cheese and fruit; and so on. If you’re cooking for one, a charcuterie board may be a bit much, but if you have family or a guest dining with you, it can become an experience.
Bon appétit, everyone!
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