Hooray for grilling season! It’s officially summer, at least in our household, and you know it’s quite exciting because there’s nothing better than dining al fresco right in the comfort of your own backyard.
We started off the pre-summer festive season with an indoor-outdoor family-style gathering. Shockingly, nothing too extravagant this time but bountiful gourmet options for all to delight in. I took a casual approach with—no acts of regality needed at the table when saucy sticky–fingered foods are involved—blends of rustic elements to the casual setting.
There’s a special moment that happens when a cook, whether it be a celebrity chef or a seasoned home cook uses a John Boos board. I certainly had several moments recently when I used a couple of their boards for prep and presentation at our summery outing (walnut and maple wood chopping blocks).
I wanted to do a savoury theme; nothing too heavy, just bites of smoked salmon, sesame & tamari baked tofu, and freshly baked sourdough baguettes. I was also finally able to use some of our own garden veggies to add to my board: fresh herbs, peppers, and tomatoes.
This thick walnut chopping block is ideal because it’s reversible. I also love that it’s somewhat compact in comparison to most of the other boards that I use. The larger chopping block is absolutely stunning up-close and quite versatile as well as durable. It’s made of maple wood and comes with stainless steel handles. I’ve used it for specific chopping and entertaining!
A Lesson On Care:
Just like my favourite cast-iron pans, proper care goes a long way when it comes to wood blocks and wood cutting boards. Many people fail to wash their boards properly. I use a drop or two of lemon oil when cleaning my board if potent ingredients like garlic or onions are cut. Never put the wood boards in the dishwasher. Use hot water lathered with soap, (I add vinegar to disinfect), then clean with a paper towel, or air drying is even better if you have time.
Afterwards, apply an even coat of the NSF certified Mystery Oil easily with a microfibre cloth or paper towel; it deeply penetrates through the wood fibres to protect and hydrate the wood. The Board Cream is made from unbleached beeswax, and oil. Both are natural and food-grade to protect the wood and surface and improve the longevity of the board.
The Difference in the Details:
Nature lovers, come in close for this …
In the BOOS® 1887 collection, Rustic Edge Design, each board is kiln-dried, with rustic edges and slight variations that the age-rings can be counted. Boards like the energy efficient maple cutting board would be great for daily use, with 25% Less Carbon Footprint & Utilises 25% Less Material Waste.
Style vs. Function:
Fortunately, when it comes to style and function, John Boos & Co. has got you covered, from commercial to residential needs. And, being a person who uses a lot of boards, it’s important to have variety.
However, you really need to think about the following questions before choosing the right style of a board:
- What are your actual usage needs?
- Are you going to use the board every day?
- Do you need a reversible board?
- How much space do you have in your kitchen or larder storage?
You should also think about style features as well as functional elements when selecting a cutting board or butcher block. You may need a butcher block for meat cutting, carving or a block with sloped (inverted) juice grooves.
I prefer to have several boards and blocks, and since I do cook a lot and entertain they all have features that suit my lifestyle. Raw meat and veggie boards are separated from each other as well as prep and presentation-only boards to avert cross-contamination. Although, studies have shown that maple cutting boards retard bacteria growth. Whichever board you choose, I can definitely recommend these Boos Blocks ® above.
Above: Sticky-Tamarind chargrilled lime chicken, below: Baked tofu with tamari & garlic sesame.
What do you think of these beautiful butcher blocks?
The goods: Walnut 3″ Thick Chopping Block -Reversible #WAL-CCB121203, and Maple Chopping Block w/Handles #CCB183-R-H – Provided by John Boos & Co., a FASHION TALES blog media & culinary partner. All content and opinions are honestly expressed and my own. Shop more boards and Boos blocks here. This post contains some affiliate-sponsor links.
