An Irish-themed grazing tray from Southern Graze included lots of green food items.
BOONVILLE — Charcuterie (pronounced shaar-koo-tr-ee) is a fancy French word referring to cooked or cured meats. Charcuterie boards featuring cold preserved meats such as salami or prosciutto alongside a variety of cheeses, nuts, crackers etc. have become the new food craze and two Boonville friends have started their own venture called Southern Graze to bring a local twist to these delicious snack boards.
Autumn Hunter of Hunter Farms said it all began on a birthday trip to the beach with her friend Sarah Harris. Hunter brought along some of the bacon and maple sausage links her family produces at their farm and put together a sort of breakfast charcuterie board.
“Everybody raved about it,” Hunter said.
Harris and Hunter then decided to pair some of the farm’s meat products with some local cheeses and offer customers a DIY charcuterie board kit.
“We had someone ask us if we would do it for them,” Harris explained. It was then that the first official Southern Graze grazing board was born.
“We didn’t intend for it to go this direction to branch out from Hunter Farms but we’re definitely welcoming the opportunity to pursue it further,” said Harris.
Southern Graze now offers customizable boards from sizes meant just for one, all the way up to 10 to 12 people or more. The two are using the term grazing board as not all of the options they make include cured meats, which is essential to be considered charcuterie.
“It’s not just cheese and meat, we can do kids grazing boards which are candy oriented,” said Harris. “It’s totally customizable to the party size, or even special themes.”
The two just recently made a customized board for a group attending an Irish music concert with lots of green, white and gold accents.
Hunter and Harris said the ultimate goal of Southern Graze is to focus on locally grown and made products.
“What sets us a part from other places is we are really trying to bring the farm to the board,” said Hunter. “We’re also supporting other local farmers.”
The Southern Graze boards will include meats produced at Hunter Farms whenever possible as well as locally made cheese products and baked goods as well. As summer produce comes in, the board will also feature locally grown veggies.
Hunter Farms has been steadily growing since it first began selling produce in 2016 and Hunter said they also plan a future storefront where they can sell their meats, veggies and now offer the graze boards. There is also a plan for a commercial kitchen so they can produce their own jams and jellies.
“It’s not just the meats and produce anymore, it’s so much that we offer,” Hunter said.
Hunter and Harris said they wanted locals and visitors to know that it doesn’t take traveling to a big city to get a unique and delicious experience.
“This is somewhere in Yadkin County that you can come to enjoy a truly locally farm to board experience. You don’t have to leave the county to get an experience like this,” said Harris.
“Yadkin County has so much to offer,” Hunter added. “We’ve got the wines, we’ve got the meats, we’ve got charcuterie boards, we’ve got it all.”
Kitsey Burns Harrison may be reached at 336-258-4035 or follow her on Twitter and Instagram @news_shewrote.
