Cheese platters (or cheeseboard) are delicious, easy to assemble and perfect for entertaining at home.
Here are our tips for a successful cheese platter!
1 - Choice of cheeses:
It is better to choose 1-3 quality cheeses. This is the perfect opportunity to showcase your delicious homemade cheeses and wow your friends. Some cheeses lend themselves better to making a cheese platter.
Indeed, we recommend the following varieties:
- queso blanco with fine herbs,
- burrata,
- grilled halloumi,
- fresh mozzarella,
- feta cheese
You can combine your homemade cheeses with a soft or hard cheese from the store (preferably a cheese from here).
2 - Choice of accompaniments:
Variety is key for cheese platters. That's what makes them irresistible. We enjoy combining different varieties of:
- nuts (cashew, almonds, pistachios, Grenoble, etc.),
- olives (green with almonds, with red peppers, kalamata,...),
- cold meats (prosciutto, Geneva sausage, salami,...)
- raw, cooked or dried fruits or vegetables
- slices of baguette or water crackers
3 - Fruits and vegetables:
The variety of vegetables or fruits chosen can enhance the quality of the cheese platter. They also play an aesthetic role.
We generally opt for cooked vegetables or a mixture of raw and dried fruits and vegetables.
Baked asparagus and cherry tomatoes (without removing the branch connecting them or their stems) offer that "wow" effect at the table and are a delicious option. We brush them with olive oil and garlic before cooking, add a pinch of salt and pepper and you're done.
For raw fruit, grapes, slices of apples, peaches or plums are appreciated. Fresh figs and field berries can also be a good accompaniment.
For raw vegetables, cucumber chunks and baby peppers are a good choice.
For dried fruit, we like to use apricots, cranberries or tomatoes.
4 - Assembly:
The watchword: abundance.
The cheese platter should appear plentiful and show very little of the board. It is also aesthetic to distribute the same ingredient in several places in order to give the impression of an even greater variety.
First we eat with our eyes. Thus, it is also important to think about the variety of ingredients and their arrangement according to their color.
We usually start by placing the cheeses on the cheese board, then we fill all the holes with other ingredients.
It is not necessary to place all the bread or crackers on the tray. It is possible to place them in a basket or a bowl next to it.
Depending on the variety of cheese, it is possible to add a balsamic vinegar glaze and a little olive oil before serving (burrata and mozzarella).
Above all, have fun! There are no hard and fast rules, so follow your intuition and use the ingredients you have on hand and those that are to your liking.
Here's a creative example: a platter featuring feta cheese and peach halves cooked with butter and honey in a skillet, some fresh rosemary and a drizzle of balsamic glaze,...yum!
Don't hesitate to share your cheese platters with us at info@u-main.ca or on our Facebook page!
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