By Cindy Hattersley 10 Comments
style me pretty
Who doesn’t love cheese? A cheese board or tray is a no fail go to when you need a quick appetizer. I think they are particularly beautiful this time of year paired with seasonal fruits.
image source unknown
If you’ve ever stood in the cheese section in any grocery store, or better yet in front of the case at a fine cheese store, you’re well aware that creating a cheese board can be quite an art. There are literally thousands of cheeses to choose from. I am certainly not a cheese expert. How do you narrow it down, what cheeses go well together, and what do you accompany them with?
Your local chain supermarket can create this, right?
If you want yours to look more inviting try these simple guidelines
image source unknown
Selecting the Cheese
- Include a variety of textures and flavors. Choose aged, soft, firm, or blue. For a good variety, select one from each group. Serve between three and five cheeses.
- Aged: Aged Cheddar, Comte, Goat Gouda
Soft: Constant Bliss, Camembert, Brillat-Savarin
Firm: Manchego, Mimolette, Parmigiano-Reggiano
Blue: Gorgonzola Dolce, Valdeón, Stilton - You can also try selecting cheeses by the type of milk used (cow, goat, sheep). This will ensure a range of different flavors on the plate.
- Serve at least one familiar cheese.
Find a platter or wooden board that is flat and large enough to hold the cheeses without crowding them.
Label cheeses so your guests know what they are eating
bradshawstyling.blogspot.com
Serve cheeses at room temperature. Allow one to two ounces of cheese per guest and be sure to use a separate knife for each cheese. Eat cheeses from mildest to strongest.
Accompany the Cheese with
- Fruit , nut breads, unflavored crackers, thin slices of French, white or wheat bread
- Dried dates, raisins, figs, apricots
- Fresh seasonal fruits: grapes, pears etc.
- Nuts: pecans, almonds and hazelnuts
- Olives, and cured meats
elorablue.tumblr.com
Serve with beautiful knives…
george briggs
potterybarn.com
Add some wonderful wine
Cheeses & Wine Guidelines: There are certain classic pairings that are universal, such as Port with Stilton. After that, you will find varying opinions about which wine(s) go best with different cheeses.
…Construct a simple centerpiece of fall foliage and vintage hydrangeas ….
And the party is on!!
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Anonymous saysI loved your post. What a pleasure for your soul… Where did you get those beautiful knives..?xx 😊
- Marsha Splenderosa says
Hey Cindy-Poo, this is a fab post. I love everyone of these images. I also love the presentations. Mostly, I love the cheeses. love you….
See Also16 Ways To Cook with Wine We need to party together. I love all your examples and your advice. I love cheese and could feast on that alone. Your setting is beautiful.
- miss b says
I'm a huge cheese fan and I thoroughly enjoyed this post! Gorgeous images and suggestions. I agree that the choice of board and pretty knives make all the difference too. Dried apricots, nuts, celery and grapes – oh and of course a good wine too – perfect!
Wonderfully delicious looking images Cindy. I'd definitely pop in to sit at that table. You have inspired me to make a visit to our favourite cheese shop in London. La Fromagerie is just cheese heaven!
- Lissy Parker says
I love this post. I have a house full of guest this weekend and am getting the boards out now.
xo, Lissy - Vel Criste says
this post made me hungry Cindy! Thanks for the great tips and ideas!
- Ivy Clad says
What a helpful guide! Thank you for this! I am pinning it to my food board so I can reference it later. In my local organic market, there's an employee who floats between the cheese and wine departments & is always so knowledgable on good accompaniments. I have relied on him a lot! I'll have to take some of these photos from your post in to him to help me create one of these beauties based on your tips! I hope you're enjoying fall.
Xo, Keri - Heather Lindstrom says
Cindy-your table is absolutely gorgeous. I love it all- cheeses, vinos, tapas, anti-pasta platters. It's my favorite way to nosh through a sunset on the terrace.
xx, Heather Great post and love the displays of cheese…your table-scape looks beautiful!
