Cheese. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say I live for it. Today I’m driving to Maine to spend time with some favorite bloggers and people from the Cabot Cheese Cooperative. For me, cheese with bread, fruit and a little good sausage makes a perfectly satisfying summer meal. This post is about building a great cheese tray with all those elements. Oh, and there’s a giveaway for a KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer — but first… CHEESE!
We often turn to our Garlic and Herb Dipping Oil and crusty bread for a simple summer meal, but for special occasions we bring out the Cheese Tray. It’s a family favorite that gets everyone excited. In essence, a cheese tray is cheese, fruit, bread and sausage arranged on a tray, platter or cutting board. If bread isn’t available, use crackers. It’s a relaxed, social meal: you eat, talk, and try different combinations.
Putting a great cheese tray together takes a bit more thought than simply piling cheeses together. Keep a couple of key ideas in mind:
- Consider the strength of the cheeses.
- Think about how the flavors will work together.
The strength of a cheese matters because strong cheeses can overpower milder ones. If you like a mild cheddar, pairing it with a very pungent blue or a funky French cheese will mask the milder flavor. Choose cheeses of similar intensity so each can be enjoyed.
Flavor balance is equally important. Avoid pairing two very bold, competing flavors — for example, a habanero Jack and a honey goat cheese might clash. Instead, pair a spicy Jack with a smoked Gouda, or a honey goat cheese with a cranberry Stilton. Use the same intuition you would when composing a salad or sandwich: if the ingredients sound appealing together, they’ll probably work on a tray.
For fruit and meats, pick what you enjoy. Classic fruit pairings with cheese include grapes, apples, pears, figs and cherries. Cured meats commonly complement cheese and fruit: thinly sliced ham, salami, Spanish-style chorizo, smoked turkey or prosciutto are all good choices.
Mustards are a great addition because they add brightness and cut through the richness of cheese. We like offering at least two varieties: a sweeter mustard (for example a grainy raspberry-style) and a spicier option (such as horseradish or caraway).
The tray pictured includes two mustards, smoked cheddar, extra-sharp cheddar, a rosemary-crusted sheep’s milk cheese, garlic-and-herb cheddar, cumin-seed studded Leyden cheese, red grapes, Spanish-style chorizo and sliced bread. Paired with a simple salad and your favorite drinks, it makes a lovely, effortless meal.
The Giveaway!
A group of bloggers pooled resources to give one reader a brand new KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer. The winner can choose their favorite color, and the giveaway is open to both U.S. and Canadian readers.
Follow the instructions on the giveaway widget on the original post to enter. Also take a moment to visit the other participating bloggers — they share wonderful recipes and ideas that pair beautifully with a cheese tray.