No, a charcuterie board is not just a fancy name for a meat and cheese tray, though there are many who hold this opinion.
A French word for a shop that primarily sells cured pork products, Charcuterie is another word for a deli. A charcuterie board is a fancy-Esque appetizer, consisting of cured and deli-style meats, artisanal cheese, along with dried fruits, nuts, olives, and even some condiments to enhance the flavor.
So, basically a meat and cheese tray, but on an entirely different level. It’s a few steps up, and not just in cost.
St. Clairsville Recreation Department Director Eric Gay thought there’d be enough interest from area residents in learning more about making the boards to offer a class at the center. He approached Libbi Gramby, owner of Table 304 in Wheeling, to see if she’d be interested in leading the class.
“She was thrilled and excited to do it,” Gay said. “She’d done a (class) one other time and had a lot of fun with it.”
As expected, there was a large and near-immediate swell in interest. It took all of two hours for the class to fill up. So, anyone looking to learn more will have to check it out the next time Table 304 offers such a class.
“If Table 304 would be interested down the road in doing this again, we’d be interested,” Gay said. “We’ve had some very positive feedback so far.”
It’s part of Gay’s overall plan to expand the offerings held at the rec center. A St. Clairsville native and graduate, Gay grew up participating in recreation department events at the center.
A multi-sport athlete for the Red Devils, he knows how skewed the activities are in favor of athletics. He’s looking to offer a bit more.
“We’re trying to expand a little bit,” Gay said. “When I took the job, one of the things that I wanted to make sure we did, is have something to offer for all age groups.
“We do a wonderful job with the kids’ programs that we have, but it’s important to me that we offer things for all of the community, not just for the kids, but adults and seniors too.
“This was just something different that we’d never really done before, and I know (charcuterie) is really popular, so it was very exciting setting it up.
The event, set for May 5 from 6-8 p.m., came with an entry fee of $30 per person. That fee included all the feed necessary to craft your board. As said, the initial class filled up quickly, though contacting the rec department on its Facebook page is a good way to demonstrate remaining interest for another class, or two.
Gay admitted that there’s “no bigger sports nut than I,” and while it’s important to him, he wants to make sure that it’s not just sports programming that’s offered. It’s important that the rec department branches out and continues to offer different things for all ages.
More Music, New Venue
Gay and his staff are finalizing the summer concert series held at the amphitheater, and it should be available for viewing soon.
Those concerts will take place every other Thursday at the venue behind the rec center. The concerts are generally a big hit with the public, not only from the greater St. C. area, but surrounding communities.
But the department is adding a little twist this summer. Starting in June, there will be an acoustic night, every other Friday and opposite the weeks of the Thursday night concert series.
These acoustic sessions will be held at the gazebo along the National Road Bikeway in town.
“We’ll have a food truck there as well,l and I feel like there are a lot of places in town where we would use more in our department, and this is something that I definitely wanted to start doing,” Gay said. “We want to utilize the bike trail a bit more, and this will allow us to utilize that beautiful space.”
The first acoustic show is set for June 10 and that lineup will be released as it’s finalized. Gay noted he has the first two shows lined up for June and is working to iron out the remaining acoustic sets for the summer.
Gay also noted that the amphitheater itself is also going to be available for baby showers, wedding showers, graduation parties, and all sorts of events. People looking to host outdoor events can now look to the rec department and its facility as a possible venue.
Further Branching Out
Zumba is on the way to the recreation center as well. Those classes will be held on Wednesday nights and are a first for the center.
While Gay doesn’t want all the program to be about sports, he is looking to offer more options, especially for adults.
For one, how about a little “futbol?”
“Something else we’d like to try is an adult soccer league,” Gay admitted. “Maybe not an entire field, but we could split up and do half-field games with an adult league.
“We’re also looking to getting the (basketball) league back up. We have a group that plays here during the week, but we want to open it up and do an actual league with it.
“I don’t want people to think we’re not offering things. It might not be what a particular person wants, but they can call up and say, ‘I’m this old. What can I do?’ and we can let them know what we offer.”
