It’s November my friends, and that pretty much signals the beginning of the holiday season. For the next two months many of you will be busy entertaining, (or if you’re lucky, being entertained) and mining through your cookbooks and Pinterest for some inspiration.
To me, a cheese platter is a great choice when thinking about what to serve guests while dinner is brewing. It’s best served at room temperature, so go ahead and put it out an hour or two before your guests arrive and you don’t have to think about it during the hustle and bustle.
But I’m not letting you off the hook that easy. Don’t think a cheese log and some nachos are what I’m talking about here. Far from it. If you follow some of my suggestions, I can guarantee your cheese board will be the star of the show, unless of course you cook this or this for dessert. Then all bets are off.
Creating a cheese board can be, well…creative! It’s fun to think about the colors and textures as well as the flavor combinations. Try to have something for everyone when making your choices. After all, everyone loves cheese, but not everyone loves every kind of cheese.
With this cheese board, I began by placing four different cheeses in the corners and then went hog wild with dried figs, cured meats, crackers, cheese sticks, mixed nuts, olives, candied ginger, apricots (soaked in madeira for a nice, sophisticated touch) and some grapes. I also added some ricotta cheese mixed with a little bit of honey, and a honeycomb right in the center of the board. I placed some fresh pears and quince on the board for some color and texture too.
Still a little intimidated about putting a fabulous cheeseboard together? Here are some quick tips for a ‘no-fail’ board:
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Keep It Simple
Avoid serving too many different cheeses all at once. Too many cheeses can easily overwhelm your palette. A good rule of thumb is 3-5 different cheeses.
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Taste In Order
The other day I was sampling some sausages in a supermarket. There were 6 different kinds, and I was given the mildest first which was somewhat sweet, and ended with a very spicy one. There was a reason the sausage was given to me that way. If I had started out with the spiciest, it would have overwhelmed the milder sausage. Same thing with cheese.
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Use Lots of Knives
Try to have a different knife for each cheese to avoid mixing flavors.
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Clear Your Palette
If you’ve ever been to a wine tasting, you know it’s a good idea to clear your palette between tastings. Same principle with cheese. Water is fine, but crackers, bread or even an apple or pear slice will work.
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Sample The Cheese Before You Buy
If you happen to be in a specialty store, you should be able to do this easily. Most good cheesemongers are happy to oblige. If not, just do what I did…pick a soft, hard, blue and aged cheese and hope for the best!
When I put this platter together I thought it might be too much food. There were only six of us, but scroll down…
This is what was left. I guess we were hungry ;).
A week later I was ready for round two. Since cheese keeps well I decided to put together another platter, this time using a board I made earlier. I had a piece of wood and some leftover stained glass which I glued on, added some rope and I had myself a cool, unique cheeseboard.
The only thing I added this go around was some Jalepeno jelly on goat and cream cheese. (Recipe will be coming. You’ll definitely want this one!)
Want some other ideas for what to serve with cheese? How about some grilled stone fruit, caramelized onions, preserves, and even chocolate.
This season, why not gather a few friends and some of your favorite wines and have them compare them all alongside each other while you talk about what you like and don’t like about the pairings. It’s a great way to learn!
In other news…
After 31 years, I donated my wedding dress this week! Yup, the local High School’s theater department is now the proud recipient of my puffy, poufy 1983 wedding dress. I know some of you thought I should keep it, and I admit it felt kinda weird giving it away, but it was time. I’m actually encouraging my daughter to have her dress shortened and I think it would make a very pretty cocktail dress, maybe to be worn on their first anniversary. I doubt she’ll do it though.
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Nana Diana says
Well, first off-congrats on donating your wedding dress. Good for you- it ain’t never gonna be 1983 again…lol
We are cheese lovers here in this state so this is a fun post for me to see! you did a nice job on everything. xo Diana
Julie says
Hi Doreen, wow I love your cheese platers you made! These are wonderful for a first course when entertaining and mingling with guests before dinner is ready. You cheese plater was a hit! How nice of you to donate your wedding dress too. Take care and enjoy Friday and the weekend.
Julie
Jann Olson says
Doreen, that cheese platter is just lovely! We are a family of cheese lovers. Hubby and I visited Napa Valley in the summer and the cheese was our favorite thing there. lol! And I love jalapeno jelly!! I make a red pepper relish that I serve over cream cheese that we love! Easy to see that your guest were well pleased!
hugs,
Jann
Diane Massey says
I recognize that carpet under that beautiful glass coffee table!
Nice job on the cheese board! question: is that honey comb in the middle?
Jane says
This is really neat, I’ve always wanted to do a cheese and fruit board…maybe for Thanksgiving? I like how you use the muffin papers for the nuts!
Good for you with the dress! Mine is in the basement somewhere!
Jane xx
Poppy says
A very appetizing array of sweet and savoury delights to complement all the wonderful cheeses on your board. I especially love the Jalapeno jelly, nuts and apricot additions, but since I can’t find the spicy spread here, can yo believe that I actually dab strawberry jam on my salami and Edam panini?! Lovely food styling shots, and great entertaining tips, thank you!
xo
Poppy
Peggy @ Decorating Files says
That is definitely an awesome cheese platter! You did such a wonderful job with it. It’s a visual feast. I love the variation of colors, textures, and flavors. ….Okay; now I’m hungry. 😉
Penny says
Not only is everything delicious and arranged beautifully but it’s a great conversation starter.
Amy @ Ms. Toody Goo Shoes says
When you say “Cheese,” I pay attention! I LOVE cheese, and now I wish I had some because you have really whet my appetite. Your arrangement looks delectable, and I am going to pin it – it’s beautiful! Is the honey comb just decorative?
Doreen says
Thanks for pinning Amy! The honeycomb is definitely edible and it’s delicious!
Feral Turtle says
I love your cheese boards! The stained glass is genius. We were actually at my sister in-laws three weeks ago and she did the cheese appys. I was thinking how nice it was to sample all of the different flavors, yet how simple it was to put together. Love your honeycomb. I may have to try this! Cheers.
andi says
Well, aren’t you sophisticated! I’m not sure my family would know what to do with that spread. We’re more of a crock-pot dippin family. But I could certainly rise to occasion to eat this platter. Even if I couldn’t put it together. 🙂
-andi
Magali@TheLittleWhiteHouse says
You made me hungry! So many good things to eat there!
Patti says
Doreen, everything looks amazing! After spending time on the cheese board I’d give everyone a glass of wine and call it a night!! LOL It is super pretty, and such a variety of treats. Love it!
Hugs,
Patti
Amy @ StowandTellU says
You really know how to put some elegance and charm into a cheese platter. Over here (near cheesehead land) we can often be guilty of putting out a few tubs of cheese and some Ritz crackers and calling it a day, LOL. Lovely tips, Doreen, and oh my, how I love your stained glass/cheese board creation!!
Alycia Nichols says
Oh, my gosh…this is luscious!!! Just in time for the holiday season when we’re all starting to freak out about what to serve!! I think guests really love it when you put out a great cheese platter with proper accompaniments. It’s a chance for them to try a cheese (or an accompaniment like dried figs or different sausages) they may have never considered or perhaps one they were afraid to buy because they might not like it. Guests get a full belly, a more sophisticated palette, AND an education!! 🙂
I think it’s terrific that you donated your wedding dress to the theater department! It’s not like “the good old days” when daughters enjoyed and fully expected to wear the dress their Mother or Grandmother or even Great-Grandmother wore. Kind of too bad because there was something so sweet and pure about that whole tradition.
Vashti Quiroz-Vega says
Hello Doreen! Wow! I want to go to your house for dinner just for the cheese platter. I love the idea of the dried fruit. Of course I would have to add some guava paste which goes great with cheese. I love olives and nuts. This is brilliant! I’d just be afraid my guests won’t be hungry for dinner after eating all of that. Ha, ha! 😉
Doreen says
Lol that’s what I thought vashti, but we ended up eating a full dinner anyway! Piggly wiggly!
Vashti Quiroz-Vega says
It’s hard to pass up something good. 😀