A beautifully arranged cheese platter brings instant class to a party. While many people are intimidated by cheeses, it's actually quite easy to put together a simple cheese platter that will appeal to a large group of party guests. Follow these steps and you'll have an elegant cheese plate that will be a conversation-starter while providing nourishment for party guests.
Choose Three to Five Cheeses With Mass Appeal
The first thing you need to do is choose the cheeses. A cheese platter should include a range of cheeses, from creamy and mild-tasting cheeses to hard and stronger-tasting cheeses. For a party, it's best to choose cheeses that most people enjoy and are familiar with. Some cheeses that you may want to consider are:
- Brie - a soft and creamy cow's cheese. Brie cheeses in the U.S. have a mild taste and buttery texture. It's a great cheese for spreading on crackers and bread. As the cheese itself is quite mellow, it can be topped with fruit jams by your guests. The rind is meant to be eaten although some prefer to cut it off. Brie by Président is widely available in supermarkets.
- Gouda - one of the Netherlands' greatest offerings to the world is Gouda. Gouda is a hard cheese made from cow's milk. Created in the Dutch city Gouda, you can now get Gouda cheese that is made all over the world although ones imported from Holland are always the best. The cheese has a sweet and nutty flavor, with younger Gouda cheeses having a milder taste. As the cheese is hard, it's helpful to have some of the cheese already cut into slices or cubes for guests.
- Blue cheese - blue cheese can be made from cow, sheep, or goat's milk. This semi-soft cheese gets its name from the blue spots peppered throughout the cheese. In contrast to the mild and buttery Brie cheese, blue cheese has a sharp and salty taste. Gorgonzola, from Italy, and Danish Blue, from Denmark, are two popular blue cheese varieties available. The cheese's strong smell makes it an acquired taste for many so you may want to offer a smaller portion of this cheese or purchase a milder version such as Rosenborg's Noble Blue.
Set the cheese out in their wrapping about an hour before the party. Cheeses taste their best at room temperature.
Arrange the Cheeses on a Beautiful Cheese Board
While you can simply put the cheeses on a wooden cheese board, it makes a bigger impact when you present the cheeses on a unique cheese board. Home furnishing stores sells a range of cheese boards to choose from. For a rustic look, consider this slate cheese board that allows you to write the names of the cheeses on it. Those wanting a more elegant look can use a marble cheese board while design lovers have several boards to choose from designer Michael Aram's collection.
Whatever cheese board you choose, make sure to have a separate cheese knife for each cheese to prevent tastes from being mingled.
Add in Fruit, Nuts and Spreads
Fruit such as grapes, slices of pear, dried cranberries, and chopped almonds are wonderful complements to cheeses. Spread out the extras around the cheese blocks so that there is an explosion of color.
Many people enjoy fruit preserves and honey with cheese. Put these into little cups or in a separate plate so that people can put whichever one they'll like on top of their cheese.
Lay Out Some Crackers and Bite-Sized Bread
If you decide to serve some crackers, make sure you get crispy and thin crackers that won't break easily. Choose crackers with minimal flavoring so that the cheeses are not overpowered. Crackers baked with sea salt and thin multi-grain crackers are good options.
For bread, get some freshly-baked baguettes from the bakery and cut into thin slices.
Get Creative With Your Cheese Platter
Once you have the basics down, you can be as creative as you want. Top off some crackers with a slice of kiwi or pear and sprinkle some blue cheese on top. You can also roll a log of goat cheese in a mixed spread of dried cranberries and sliced almonds.
Once you have the basics of cheese down, you can then start to venture into artisanal and rarer cheeses for your next party.
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