Well it was our first week back to the daily routine and I have to confess that by Friday, dinner was the last thing on my mind. But I decided to shake things up a bit by introducing charcuterie and soup Friday. When I was enjoying my last day of vacation in the kitchen cooking, I made a batch of pizza soup. Then when I was cleaning up the fridge, I discovered we still had a good supply of cheese leftover from holiday entertaining. The rest is history.

There are few trends I’ve embraced more than the charcuterie board (mainly because we can’t resist cheese and sausage). I love having a soft, spreadable cheese, something sharp (Asiago & extra sharp cheddar), something mellow (gouda), some kind of meat, rounded out by some fruit and nuts.

Now on to the soup course!

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup orzo pasta
1 can diced tomatoes
4 cups chicken stock
6 oz cooked sausage (I used an Italian chicken sausage)

Sauté the onions and peppers until soft, add in the garlic. Add the oregano, basil and pepper flakes. Add the tomatoes, stock and orzo. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower heat and cook until the pasta is tender (about 20 minutes). Stir in the sausage to heat through for another couple minutes.

It was just a nice way to end the week: a glass of wine while chatting about the week and enjoying our board, followed up by a hearty bowl of soup.

What’s your favorite items to add to a charcuterie board? No matter what they may be, I hope you enjoy in good health and surrounded by those you love.

Eat well my friends!