A good board is not a pile of expensive things. It is a small argument between salt, fat, sweetness and acid, and it works when all four turn up. One jar of sweet-savory tomato jam covers the sweetness on a board, the richness on morning toast, and the finish on a roast: three ways to use the same jar, starting with the one most people come for.

The Cheese Board

This is where a tomato jam earns its keep. It covers the sweet element without tipping into dessert, has enough savory depth to sit beside cured meat, and enough sweetness to cut an aged cheddar. One jar does the work that honey, chutney and fruit preserve would otherwise split between them.

The five things every board needs

Build around these and almost any combination works.

Something salty. Prosciutto, soppressata, a hard aged cheese. This is the backbone.
Something creamy. Brie, chèvre, a triple cream. It softens everything it sits beside.
Something sweet. Jam, honey, fresh or dried fruit. Sweetness is what makes salt taste like more than salt.
Something crunchy. Crackers, a sliced baguette, toasted nuts. Texture keeps a board from feeling heavy.
Something sharp. Cornichons, olives, pickled onion. Acid resets the palate, so the fourth bite tastes like the first.

Which cheese with what

Match intensity to intensity. A delicate cheese next to something loud disappears; a strong cheese needs something that can answer back.

Aged cheddar: sharp and dry, and wants sweetness. A spoonful of tomato jam, or a slice of apple.
Brie or camembert: mild and buttery. Warm it, then spoon something sweet and savory over the top.
Goat cheese: tangy and bright. Honey is the obvious partner; a savory jam is the better one.
Gruyère: nutty and firm. Cured meat and a grainy mustard.
Blue: assertive and salty. Needs real sweetness: fig, pear, or honey.

How much to buy

Per person, as a starter: about 60g of cheese across two or three kinds, 60g of cured meat, and one shared jar of something sweet between six people. As the main event, roughly double the cheese and meat. Err toward fewer things in larger quantity. Three generous cheeses beat six mean ones.

Arranging it

Cheese first and spaced apart, because everything else fills in around it. Fold the meat rather than laying it flat, so it has some height. Put wet things (olives, jam, cornichons) in small bowls, or they will soak the crackers. Fill the gaps last, and leave the board a little crowded: empty space reads as unfinished. Take the cheese out of the fridge half an hour before serving; cold cheese tastes of almost nothing.

Three boards that work

The weeknight board. Aged cheddar, prosciutto, tomato jam, crackers, cornichons. Five things, ten minutes.
The dinner-party board. Warm baked brie with tomato jam spooned over, soppressata, marcona almonds, grapes, baguette.
The holiday board. Blue, gruyère and goat cheese, two cured meats, tomato jam and honey, dried figs, walnuts, and both crackers and bread.

The Morning Toast

The same sweetness that cuts a sharp cheddar does the same job against something rich and mild at breakfast. Start with a thick layer of ricotta on toasted sourdough and a spoonful of jam on top. The jam needs the fat underneath it, or it reads as too sweet on its own.

Ricotta and sourdough. The default. A crack of black pepper over the top is worth the five seconds.
Eggs. Alongside a soft scramble, not stirred through it. Works the way a good ketchup does, with more to say.
The breakfast sandwich. Egg, sharp cheese and jam in a brioche bun. This is the one people ask about afterwards.
Warm biscuits or scones. Butter first, then jam, while both are still warm enough to melt into each other.

The Savory Glaze

Thinned with a splash of water or vinegar, a tomato jam becomes a finishing glaze. The sugar in it will catch and burn over a long roast, so brush it on in the last ten minutes rather than at the start. You want it to caramelize, not blacken.

Roast pork or pork belly. Brush through the final ten minutes, then rest. The classic pairing, and the hardest to improve on.
Grilled or roast chicken. Thighs more than breast; the extra fat holds the glaze.
Meatballs and sliders. Stirred through at the end, or spread under the patty so it does not slide off.
Roast root vegetables. Carrots and parsnips especially. Toss them in it for the last few minutes of roasting.

Our tomato jam was built for all three jobs: sweet forward, softly savory, and thick enough to hold its shape on a board.

See the tomato jam

Charcuterie board pairings