Easy Entertaining with a Cheese Plate
It’s summer. The fruit is ripe, the Rose is flowing, and the perfect pairing is a cheese plate.
I’ve had two requests for help, in the last week, with putting together a cheese plate for summer entertaining and I’m happy to share my formula. I like to combine flavors and textures, sweet and savory, hard and creamy. Instead of a large array of ingredients, I offer larger quantities of 3-4 cheeses and the same number of accompanying sides.
I usually don’t vary meals for adults and children, but in the case of cheese plates, I almost always make an adult version and a kids’ plate.
Adult Cheese Plate:
- Triple cream (creamy and spreadable)
- Blue cheese (English Stilton, Rogue River Blue, Gorgonzola)
- Hard or semi-hard white (Manchego, Parmesan, Gouda, Gruyere)
- Goat cheese (herbed, peppered, ashed – Humboldt Fog)
- Marcona almonds (peeled almonds, roasted with olive oil and salt)
- Strawberries
- Quartered figs (fresh or dried)
- Candied walnuts or pecans
- Thinly sliced cured meats (salami, prosciutto, serrrano ham, mortedella)
- Raw honeycomb is a an elegant and extravagant treat
- Something salty: olives and /or cornichons (Trader Joe’s has a good selection)
- Garnish with fresh rosemary
Kid Cheese Plate:
- Cheddar cheese cubes
- Jack or Havarti cheese cubes
- Grapes
- Dried apricots
- Strawberries
- Kiwi slices
- Apple slices
Serve your cheese plate with a selection of crackers, thinly sliced baguette, gluten-free crackers or chips, and small plates or cocktail napkins. Costco has good quality cheeses at good prices when you need to buy a large quantity. It’s a good idea to ask a cheesemonger in your local market for recommendations on the best cheeses in your area (and recommendations on pairings). Artfully arrange your cheese plate, or make an abundant pile of the offerings, for visual appeal.
A cheese plate is so simple, so elegant, and so devoured!
Happy entertaining,
