What to serve with a board, and what not to

Serve a board as the main event and everything around it should be light and sharp. Serve it before dinner and it should be small enough that nobody is full before the meal.

With a board as the main event

A large, sharp green salad with something bitter in it, bread, and a drink with acidity. Acidity is what makes cheese taste like more than fat and salt. A dry, oaked red will make a soft washed rind taste flat.

With a board as a starter

Keep it small. The medium size, crackers rather than bread, and something sparkling. If you order the large size for a starter, you will be eating cheese at midnight standing up in front of the fridge.

What to leave out

Do not put a bowl of chips next to a board. Everything crisp goes dull because of it. The same applies to a lot of crackers. A board should be the only thing you can reach for.

How long it should last on the table

About two hours out. After that, cured meat dries out and the board stops looking like anything worth photographing. Refill from the fridge if it is going longer.