Harvest Charcuterie Board

Kicking things off with a little cheese and charcuterie board is always a good idea, and this harvest-inspired spread is equally perfect when the first chill of autumn is in the air or winter holidays are just around the corner. Piles of crunchy vegetables, stacks of fresh and dried fruit, and slices of cheese are tucked alongside the easiest candied nuts, savory bacon and spinach-packed mushrooms, an extra-herby cheese ball, sweet potato spread swirled with marshmallow and — the showstopper — baked Brie in the shape of a pumpkin. Keep all your ingredients extra fresh and ready to serve with Bosch refrigerators with VitaFresh Pro. Feel free to customize and get creative. The point isn’t to overdo it or break the bank – just fill up the board with a beautiful spread and your guests will truly feel thankful.

Special equipment: kitchen twine
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Active Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes (includes chilling time)
Ease of preparation: intermediate

Ingredients:

• Quick Candied Nuts
• Sweet Potato Spread
• Pumpkin Baked Brie
• Herby Cheese Ball
• Bacon and Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms
• Cranberry relish or jam
• 8 ounces orange Gouda or Mimolette, sliced
• Crudité, such as trimmed green beans, sliced carrots or halved boiled baby potatoes
• Fresh fruit, such as apple and pear slices tossed in lemon juice, grapes on the vine, halved figs, whole dates, persimmon slices or pomegranate seeds
• Dried fruit, such as golden raisins, cranberries, apricots or apple chips
• Decorations, such as small gourds or fresh herb sprigs
• Sliced baguette or crackers

Arrange bowls of the Quick Candied Nuts and Sweet Potato Spread on a board. Place the Pumpkin Baked Brie and Herby Cheese Ball on small plates or directly on the board. Arrange the Bacon and Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms around the board. Spoon the cranberry relish into a ramekin and set on the board. Fill in around everything with slices of Gouda, crudité, fresh and dried fruit, decorations and baguette slices.

• 1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Pinch of cayenne pepper, optional
• 2 cups unsalted raw mixed nuts

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Add the brown sugar, salt, cayenne if using and 2 tablespoons water to a large skillet. Set over medium heat and cook, stirring, until the mixture is melted and bubbling. Add the nuts and cook, stirring to coat in the sugar mixture, until the nuts are toasted and thickly coated, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet in an even layer and let cool completely, about 1 hour. Break apart any large clumps.

• One 15-ounce can sweet potato purée
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup well-stirred tahini
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• Grated zest of 1 orange
• 1/4 cup mini marshmallows

Combine the sweet potato purée, maple syrup, tahini, salt, cinnamon, cloves and orange zest in a medium bowl. Whisk until fully combined. Transfer to a serving bowl, cover with plastic and chill for at least 1 hour.

Just before serving, place the marshmallows in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring, until melted, about 1 minute. Drizzle the melted marshmallow over the spread with a spoon.

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin butter or apple butter
• One 4.4-ounce mini wheel Brie
• 1 large egg yolk
• Pretzel stick and fresh sage leaf, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.

Unfold the pastry sheet onto the prepared baking sheet. Cut out a 6 1/2-inch circle and remove the excess dough. Spoon the pumpkin butter into the center of the circle and set the Brie on top. Fold up the edges of the circle to cover the Brie and pinch the seams together. Turn over so the seams are facing down. Cut six 7- to 8-inch pieces of kitchen twine and tie each around the pastry, pulling gently to create indentations like a pumpkin. Trim the excess twine from the top. (The wrapped and tied Brie ball can be covered with plastic and refrigerated overnight.)

Beat the egg yolk in a small bowl and brush it over the surface of the pastry. Bake until the pastry is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes, then trim off and discard the twine. Insert a pretzel stick and sage leaf at the top to resemble the stem of a pumpkin. Serve immediately.

• 8 ounces smoked Gouda, cubed
• 8 ounces cream cheese, diced
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• Nonstick cooking spray, for your hands
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

Add the Gouda to a food processor and pulse about 4 times to break it up. Add the cream cheese and Dijon and process, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed, until mostly smooth, about 2 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the mixture onto a plate.

Spray your hands with nonstick spray and shape the cheese mixture into a ball. On a separate plate, mix together the chives, rosemary, pepper and sage. Roll the cheese ball in the herb mixture, coating all sides. Set back on the plate and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight before serving.

• 24 large white or cremini mushrooms, caps reserved and stems finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed chopped spinach leaves
• 1/2 cup finely chopped cooked bacon
• 1/2 cup grated mozzarella
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
• 1 cup coarse fresh white breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

If the mushrooms caps are very rounded, trim a very thin slice from the top of the caps to help them sit upright for baking. Toss the mushroom caps with the olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl.

Heat the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushroom stems and spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, until just soft and wilted, 6 to 8 minutes. Scrape into a large bowl, season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and set aside to cool.

Add the bacon, mozzarella and chives to the cooled mushroom stem mixture. Stir in the breadcrumbs until well moistened.

Pack each mushroom cap with filling and transfer the filled mushrooms to a rimmed baking sheet filling-side up. Bake until the mushrooms are tender and the filling is brown and crispy on top, about 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then remove from the baking sheet.