Save I'll never forget the summer evening when my cousin arrived at the beach house with this stunning anchor-shaped charcuterie board. The moment I saw it displayed on the weathered driftwood table overlooking the ocean, I knew this wasn't just food—it was an edible love letter to coastal living. The way the twisted pretzels formed the anchor's outline, the blues and whites catching the golden hour light, the little bowls of cream cheese nestled like precious pearls... I spent the whole evening watching friends gather around it, picking, sharing, laughing. That night taught me that the most memorable gatherings aren't about complicated cooking—they're about creating something beautiful that brings people together.
I remember setting this up for my daughter's college friends during a surprise beach weekend. They walked into the house, saw that anchor gleaming with blueberries and cream cheese, and actually gasped. One of them told me later that it was the moment she realized entertaining didn't have to be stressful—it just had to have heart. We sat on the porch until sunset, everyone reaching across each other, sharing bites, telling stories. That board became part of the memory more than any single dish ever could.
Ingredients
- Creamy Brie (150g, cut into wedges): This is your golden anchor point—it's buttery, it's elegant, and everyone gravitates toward it. Cut it just before serving so the edges stay pristine and creamy rather than getting oxidized and tired-looking.
- Herbed Goat Cheese (120g, rolled into small balls): Roll these while your hands are still cold from the fridge and they'll stay perfectly round and almost jewel-like on the board. The tanginess cuts through the richness beautifully.
- Blue Cheese (100g, crumbled or sliced): This is your secret coastal flavor—salty, bold, unapologetically blue. Don't shy away from it even if you think people won't eat much; the ones who love it will seek it out like treasure.
- Smoked Salmon (120g slices): Drape these loosely like fabric rather than laying them flat. The way the light catches the translucent edges makes the whole board look more luxurious. Optional, but it's what makes people say 'wow.'
- Prosciutto (100g): Crumple it gently into small, irregular shapes. This gives texture and makes people feel like they're grabbing something special, not just cold meat.
- Large Twisted Pretzels (100g): These are your anchor's skeleton—the architectural element that makes everything else make sense. Choose ones that are truly rope-like, because that's what creates the magic. Avoid the oversalted varieties; let the other ingredients shine.
- Round Water Crackers (80g): The plain jane of the board that everyone secretly loves. They're the perfect vehicle for everything else, and their neutral palette lets your blues and whites pop.
- Baguette Slices (60g): Toast them lightly if you want them crispy, or leave them soft—both work, but toasted gives you more textural play and they won't get soggy from dips.
- Blueberries (100g): These are your board's jewelry. Scatter them like they fell where they landed, not in neat little piles. The randomness feels more organic and inviting.
- Black Grapes (80g): They echo the blueberries but offer a different sweetness. Keep some in small clusters on the vine for visual interest.
- Apple Slices (1 small apple): Toss these in a little lemon juice right before assembly so they don't brown. The crisp, fresh crunch is what balances all the richness.
- Dried Apricots (50g): Chewy, sweet, almost caramel-like. They're the unexpected guest who everyone ends up loving.
- Cucumber Slices (1 small cucumber): Cool, refreshing, grounding. Pat them dry before placing so they don't make everything damp and slippery.
- Sugar Snap Peas (80g): Leave some whole so people can grab them raw and crunchy—they're the vegetables that even non-vegetable people eat.
- Radishes (50g, halved): Peppery, crisp, and honestly just pretty. They add a sharp bite that makes you want another bite of everything else.
- Whipped Cream Cheese with Blue Tint (80g): Use natural coloring like spirulina or butterfly pea powder—the color should feel like the sky meeting the sea, not artificial. This is your anchor's anchor, nestled in small bowls at the ends. Let people use it as a dip or spread; it's creamy enough to work both ways.
- Tzatziki or Herbed Yogurt Dip (60g): This brings cool, garlicky brightness that keeps the board from feeling heavy. Make it yourself if you can—store-bought works, but homemade tastes like you actually cared.
- White Chocolate Seashells or Candies (40g, optional): These aren't essential, but they're the final flourish that makes someone say 'oh, that's so clever.' Use them sparingly.
- Fresh Dill Sprigs or Edible Flowers (blue/white): These are your finishing brushstrokes. Real dill from your garden or a farmer's market bunch feels more authentic than sad grocery store bunches. The edible flowers should look intentional, not scattered randomly.
Instructions
- Choose Your Stage:
- Find a large wooden board or serving platter that feels substantial and beautiful—this is going to be center stage. If you don't have a wooden board, a large white platter works beautifully too, as it makes the blue-and-white theme even more striking. Wipe it clean with a dry cloth so everything you place shows up crisply.
- Anchor Your Vision:
- Lay out those rope-like pretzels in the shape of a large anchor in the center of your board. This takes a bit of play and adjustment—step back, squint, feel it out. You want the flukes (the bottom parts) to splay out gracefully, and the shaft to be strong and clear. Overlap them slightly so they read as one continuous shape, not separate pieces. Trust your instincts here; a slightly wonky anchor feels more handmade and charming than a perfect geometric one.
- Create Your Focal Points:
- Place small bowls of the whipped blue cream cheese and tzatziki at the anchor's ends or where the eye would be. These bowls should sit nestled against the pretzel outline, almost like they're anchors themselves. Leave a tiny bit of space around them so they feel intentional, not crowded.
- Fill With Richness:
- Now comes the fun part—building clusters of cheeses, smoked salmon, and prosciutto inside the anchor shape. Think in color blocks: a cluster of brie here, some crumpled prosciutto there, the goat cheese balls over here creating white pockets. Vary the heights and textures so it doesn't feel flat. Arrange the blue cheese in small piles or thin slices so its color reads clearly against the other elements. Stand back frequently to see how the colors are reading from a distance.
- Add the Jewels:
- Scatter blueberries and black grapes along the pretzel outline and fill in any gaps with pops of color. Let some grapes sit in small clusters on the vine; let blueberries roll into natural groupings. This is where randomness becomes beauty. The berries should look like they settled naturally, not like you placed them with tweezers.
- Introduce Freshness:
- Arrange your vegetable elements—cucumber slices fanned slightly, sugar snap peas standing upright or clustered together, radish halves creating geometric pops of pink and white, apple slices in small groupings. These shouldn't fight for the same real estate as the cheese and meats; they should feel like they're in conversation with them, filling in around and beside. Keep the blue-and-white theme in mind; these fresh elements enhance it.
- Scatter Your Foundations:
- Place crackers and baguette slices around the outside of the anchor, creating a frame and giving people easy access. They shouldn't be buried under other elements—they're the path to everything else. Lean some of them slightly for dimension.
- The Final Flourish:
- Garnish with white chocolate seashells scattered sparingly (these should feel like discovered treasures, not confetti), and add fresh dill sprigs and any edible flowers you're using. The dill should feel organic, like it just grew there; the flowers should create little moments of color. Step back and look. Does it make you smile? Does it look like a gift?
- Serve with Joy:
- Serve immediately while everything is fresh and crisp, or cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until guests arrive. When you uncover it at the table, watch their faces. That moment is why you made this.
Save My mother called me the morning after I made this for a dinner party and said, 'That board made people slow down and actually talk to each other.' I'd never thought of food as a conductor of connection before, but she was right. When people aren't rushing through courses and utensils and presentations, when they're simply reaching and choosing and tasting, something shifts. They become present. This board has become my favorite way to entertain because it promises that.
The Art of Arrangement
Building a charcuterie board is really about understanding color, height, and rhythm. You're not just putting food on a board—you're creating a landscape where people want to linger. The anchor gives you permission to be less formal, more playful. I learned this by watching my grandmother arrange her garden; she never put all the tall flowers in the back and all the short ones in front. She mixed heights, let some unexpected colors live side by side, and the result felt alive instead of arranged. The same principle applies here. When you place a tall stack of crackers next to a flat layer of brie next to a cluster of berries, you create visual movement that makes people's eyes travel across the whole board instead of fixating on one spot.
Flavor Pairings That Sing Together
I discovered by accident that the herbed goat cheese with the apple slices and a touch of the tzatziki creates this perfect moment on the palate—creamy, fresh, herbaceous, slightly sweet. It was a guest who combined them, actually, and watching her close her eyes at that flavor combination made me realize that the best boards are ones that suggest possibilities without dictating them. The blue cheese with the black grapes is obvious, almost cliché, but it's cliché for a reason—it's transcendent. The prosciutto and fresh dill together feel Italian and summery. The cream cheese as both a spread and a dip means people get to choose their own adventure, and that agency makes them feel creative and indulged.
Making It Your Own
The beauty of this board is that it's more framework than recipe. If you don't love blue cheese, skip it and add more of something you do love. If your farmer's market had incredible heirloom tomatoes that week, slice them in and let them redefine the color palette. If you want to make it fully vegetarian, simply omit the salmon and prosciutto—the board stays stunning because it's the cheeses, the fresh elements, and the beautiful presentation that carry the day. I've made versions with roasted red peppers, with marcona almonds, with small fresh mozzarella balls. Each one feels like a new adventure, still recognizably the same celebration of coastal flavors.
- If serving to guests with dairy allergies, keep a small section of the board free of cheese and label it clearly, or offer to make a separate vegetable-and-cracker section
- Blue corn tortilla chips or blue potato chips scattered around the edges add even more coastal color and fun texture without disrupting the design
- Make this the centerpiece of a casual meal and pair it with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc, sparkling water with lemon, or light rosé
Save This board taught me that hospitality isn't about perfection—it's about thoughtfulness. Every element here says 'I wanted this to be beautiful for you, I wanted you to enjoy yourself.' That feeling, more than anything else, is what people taste.
Questions & Answers
- → How do I create the anchor shape on the board?
Use large twisted pretzels to outline the anchor shape, overlapping them for a rope-like effect. Fill the inside with cheeses, fruits, and other ingredients.
- → Can this board be made vegetarian?
Yes, simply omit smoked salmon and prosciutto and focus on cheeses, fruits, vegetables, and dips for a vibrant vegetarian option.
- → What dips complement the board’s flavors?
Whipped blue cream cheese tinted naturally and a herbed yogurt or tzatziki dip add creamy, tangy contrasts that enhance the coastal theme.
- → What garnishes add to the presentation?
Decorate with white chocolate seashell-shaped candies, fresh dill sprigs, and edible blue and white flowers for a seaside aesthetic.
- → What are good beverage pairings with this board?
A crisp Sauvignon Blanc or sparkling water with lemon complements the fresh, creamy, and savory elements beautifully.
- → How should leftovers be stored?
Cover the board tightly and refrigerate promptly to maintain freshness until the next serving.