The cheese plate is a reliable presence at many events both big and small. The formula for building a cheese plate is most always the same and includes a variety of cheeses, something sweet and something savory, and bread or hard fruit on which to eat your cheese. Wine is also a requirement at my events. To build a cheese plate you only really need three things; cheese, accompaniments, and a plate. CheeseTo build a balanced cheese plate, you want to include a medium-hard cheese {like manchego}, a soft cheese {like camembert}, a goat cheese {like herbed chevre}, and either a sassy cheese {like roqefort} or a hard cheese {like parmigiano}. This gives you a nice range of textures. If you are planning a smaller plate, try to have a minimum of two different styles of cheese. On my vacation to Michigan I was fortunate enough to tour and taste the cheeses from Evergreen Lane Creamery. This lovely farm is home to hand-crafted artisan cheeses made from goat and cow's milks. After tasting the five varieties, we settled on of their cheeses - The Garden Herb Chevre {with parsley, lovage, and chives}, The Tribute Tomme {named after the owner's prized goat}, and April Showers {a camembert style tomme made from cow's milk} AccompanimentsThe next thing to think about is what will accompany your cheese. I tend to include fresh fruits, nuts, croutons, and a savory jam. In the summer fresh seasonal fruits are my preference. Since I am in Michigan, I included blueberries, peaches, pluots or plums, and grapes. During the winter, I would include dried fruits like apricots and cherries along with apples and pears. Nuts can be simply roasted with a bit or salt or glazed with maple or spiced with shallots and rosemary. Pistache loves to make nuts with maple and dukkah {recipe below}. Along with fruits, I will include savory jams, chutneys, conserves or salsa. This is not a must but it adds another dimension to the plate. Balsamic Onion jam, Chipotle Peach Salsa, or Mango Chutney are my favorites but test out whatever you have on hand. Finally you need something to put your lovely creation on. Toasts, crackers, baguette or ciabatta will all do nicely. PlatesMy cheese plates tend to turn into cheese platters but either way I have to put it on something. A large platter works well but it can be fun to try out a different material depending on the occasion. For our cottage plate, I used a large piece of wood {untreated}. The more interesting the material, the more interesting the final look. The above plates are from the Williams-Sonoma new wine country series. But all you really need to build a fabulous cheese plate is a food safe surface that is large enough to hold your cheeses and accompaniments. Spiced NutsTo make 1 cup of spiced nuts 1 cup nuts of your choice 1 Tbsp oil {I use coconut oil or butter} 1 Tbsp maple syrup 1 to 2 Tbsp of spice of your choice {cinnamon, dukkah, garam masala, etc.} Spray a piece of aluminum foil lightly with oil. Heat oil and maple until boiling. Allow to boil for 2 minutes and then pour over nuts. {The mixture will be very HOT!} Stir the nuts and add the spice. Stir again. Allow to cool on aluminum foil and use as needed. If you don't eat them all, they can be stored in a cool and dry area, in an air tight container for about 4 days. Nuts can also be enjoyed in salads or by the handful. Enjoy!
- pistache and rose |
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November 2019
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