edible entertaining

Butter Boards

By Kaye Warr / Photography By Kathryn Brass-Piper | February 03, 2023

Hickory-smoked butter with radishes, asparagus, and flaked sea salt from Detwiler's Farm Market

The Gourmet Vida

When the idea to feature the “butter board” food trend was assigned to me, my first thought was to call my friends Sally Ann Ratner and Mary Gammon of The Gourmet Vida. It’s a Pavlovian response at this point: If someone mentions charcuterie, or grazing tables, or any kind of board, my brain says, “Call the experts!” I called Sally and she said, “This is serendipitous because I happen to have been researching and Pinteresting ‘butter boards’ all week.”

Mary and Sally started their private catering company, The Gourmet Vida, in March 2018 after more than two decades of friendship.

“We knew that we were both interested in running our own business, and that our backgrounds in the food and hospitality industries were complementary. We wanted to concentrate on healthy, farm-to-table, beautiful food.” The duo has been leaning into the direction of smaller, intimate events with beautifully presented charcuterie boards and artful grazing tables. Everything they do comes down to art: the art of flavor, the art of presentation, and the art of service.

“We want each event and each board and each meal to feel luxurious. We want you to feel the luxury that comes from fresh local ingredients, artfully presented with love and attention to detail.” That detail includes making their own chutneys and dips, smoking their own fish and butter, and sourcing ingredients from all over Sarasota, Bradenton, and Venice. The pair are visually inspired and love to translate ideas from their travels. “We appreciate people and places that embrace their identities and push the envelope to take extra care with their presentation. We love the artisanal, creative touches that are evident in restaurants like Antoine’s and Meliora.”

So, what is a butter board? We’re glad you asked. A butter board is a cutting board or cheese plate covered with a perfectly softened butter often adorned with edible decorations and served with your choice of accoutrements. We asked The Gourmet Vida to make us some examples and the resulting three boards were nothing short of delicious works of art: almost too beautiful to eat but way too appetizing to resist.

> The Gourmet Vida: 813-326-8500; thegourmetvida.com

Photo 1: Roasted Garlic and Fresh Herb Butter with lemon zest, fresh basil, and parsley from Jessica’s Organic Farm, thyme, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh shaved parmesan. Fresh baked bread from C'est la Vie.

Photo 2: Sweet Cream Butter with orange fig jam, fresh figs, baby basil, pistachio, orange zest, edible flowers, and drizzled local honey from Sarasota Honey Company.