Put the small bowl on the board to the side of the center position.
Fan goat cheese slices around the outside of half of the bowl. Put each of the other types of cheese in their own section, spread evenly around the board.
8 ounces goat cheese, 8 ounces parmesan cheese, 8 ounces gorgonzola or blue cheese
Fold the ham slices in quarters. Fold half of the mortadella slices in half. Make flowers out of the rest of the mortadella and the salami (see instructions in the notes below). Spread the folded ham around the other half of the bowl. Put the rest of the meats in their own sections, spread out between the cheeses.
Position the fruits and vegetables in their own sections between the meats and cheeses so they provide some color contrast. Leave one area of the board empty so you will have space for the crackers.
1 8-ounce jar olives, 1/2 pound red grapes, 1 pint cherry tomatoes, 1 English cucumber
Place the crackers in the last empty space. Add the breadsticks to the bowl.
1 package small breadsticks, 1 box crackers
Use walnuts or candied pecans to fill in any gaps.
8 ounces walnuts or candied pecans
Serve with toothpicks and cheese knives.
Notes
Depending on the size of your charcuterie board, you may not have space for 8 ounces of each ingredient. Keep the leftovers in plastic bags and use them to refill the board as needed.
Although the ingredients specified in the recipe are the ones that I used, feel free to swap them out if you prefer different varieties.
If you want to serve jam, hummus or some other kind of dip, you could put the breadsticks in a dish on the side of the board and use the bowl for the dip.
To store the charcuterie board, cover it loosely with plastic wrap or foil and put it in the refrigerator. Take it out about 30 minutes before serving to let the ingredients warm to room temperature.
How to make meat slice flowers
Find a glass that has a diameter which is smaller than the diameter of your meat slices. I used a 1.5 inch wide shot glass for slices that were 4 inches wide.
Place a meat slice over the rim of the glass. Push one side of the meat slice down into the glass and the other side down over the outside of the glass.
Repeat with another slice of meat but move it about 1/3 of the way around the rim so that it is overlapping the first slice but not completely covering it.
Keep repeating this process until there is no more room left in the middle of the glass. It usually takes about 8 slices.
Then turn the glass over and carefully pull out your flower.