The Spring Cheese Board

LUTHO PASIYA

NOTHING quite tops a dinner party like a good cheeseboard. Personally, it is often the highlight of the meal.

When you are preparing to have friends over for dinner and you want to impress them with a great cheeseboard, your first task will be to buy fresh cheese. But did you know you can pull together the rest of a great board using what you may already have in your fridge?

Here are three tips that will help you put together a cheeseboard geared for feeding a group or party.

Choose your cheese

We recommend starting with a creamy, flavoured havarti. It goes especially well with ham. Next, add a nice, nutty alpinestyle cheese. Alpine-style cheeses have a rich, complex flavour and appeal to just about any party-goer. Plus, it pairs beautifully with nuts, fruits, and ham – which makes it a perfect partner for this spring cheeseboard. Add a pop of colour with mild cheddar. It is slightly sweet with a hint of butterscotch and so approachable that it tastes great in just about any combination.

Pair with accompaniments

Have fun adding colour to your cheeseboard with seasonal vegetables, fruit and nuts. Here are some ideas:

Pickled spring onions: You can make these a few days in advance by putting trimmed spring onions into a simple brine. Keep in the fridge. A quick search for pickled spring onions or scallions will turn up dozens of tasty options.

Rhubarb jam: Nothing says spring like rhubarb!

Beauty heart radishes: Peppery-sweet and oh-so-pretty, these radishes may look boring from the outside but when you slice them, they’re showstoppers. Great on a sliced baguette with ham and your choice of cheese.

Add a base

Bulk up your cheeseboard with meats, crackers, and bread. For spring, we love: country ham: salty country ham is a great choice for a cheeseboard. Wholewheat crackers and sliced baguette:

These serve as the perfect base for stacking up adventurous cheeseboard combos.