Simple Steps to Create a Sumptuous Cheese Board

CHEESY-PEASY

Simple Steps to Create a Sumptuous Cheese Board

 BY LAURA LARSON

Having friends over for an evening of good food and adult beverages is always a fun endeavor, but these days, coming up with an enticing menu to please a menagerie of guests with varying tastes and dietary preferences can often pose a challenge. One foolproof way to kick off the evening is a cheese board. They’re spectacular to look at, contain an assortment of tidbits to indulge any appetite or culinary leaning, and the best part? Guests can serve themselves. While it sounds simple enough, finding the perfect mélange of bits and bites and serving them up in an impressive presentation can put even the savviest host into a quandary.

The easiest way to prevent overthinking it is to break the process down into three simple elements: Composition, Compatibility, and Creativity.

COMPOSITION

Step one is deciding what to serve. The first rule of thumb is selecting good products. Since a cheese board is a hearty proposition, it’s essential to use the best quality cheeses since they are the stars of the show. Three different types of cheeses with varied textures, colors, and flavors are a good starting point for a medium-sized board, and if adding charcuterie, two types of cured meats. The best advice when making cheese selections is to keep it simple and go for the crowd-pleasers. One aged cheese such as cheddar, gruyere, or gouda, one firm cheese, such as Manchego or Parmesan, and one soft cheese, such as brie, camembert, or milk cheese (goat, sheep, or cow) offer a nice variety of textures and flavor profiles. An adventurous host may wish to jazz things up with something intriguing such as a truffled gouda, Sriracha cheddar, or wine-soaked goat cheese. The meats are easier to fill in, and usually, a hard meat like aged sliced salami and one soft, such as shaved prosciutto, will work well with any layout.

If the selection process becomes overwhelming, go with a regional theme such as Spain or Italy to help narrow the vast array of options. Whichever route is taken, cheese and cured meats taste optimal when served at room temperature, so be sure to allow at least 30-45 minutes outside of the fridge before serving.

COMPATIBILITY

Once the cheeses and meats are selected, it is now time to choose a supportive cast of complementary accouterments. A juxtaposition of colors, flavors, and textures is critical to creating a wow factor, so consider adding crunch with Marcona almonds or roasted pecans and color with dried cranberries or apricots and raw vegetables such as radishes, carrot sticks, or snow peas. Mixed briny olives or cornichons create an interesting layer of flavor, and for some seasonal panache, include fresh fruit such as strawberries or figs in the summer or grapes in the fall. Adding a sweet component creates an excellent companion for savory cheeses. A small pot of fig preserves, honey mustard, red pepper jelly, honeycomb, or pickled onions are formidable choices. Light butter cookies, yogurt-coated pretzels, chocolate-covered nuts or strawberries or even wrapped chocolate kisses add the perfect muse for a sugar craving.

CREATIVITY

Assembling this culinary cornucopia into a dramatic presentation is when the fun begins. A basic rule of thumb is to select a board or vessel which will easily accommodate all the goodies with enough room or an edge, so everything stays off the floor. Whether the surface is round, square, or rectangular, it is wise to gauge each item's compartmental size before slicing or chopping. Lay the packages out on the board in the pattern and shape you plan to serve them and adapt accordingly. The best design hacks for creating intrigue are to focus on dimension and color. For starters, cut the cheeses into different shapes (long wedges, cubes, and slices), maybe leaving one whole for guests to slice, or transferring a soft cheese into a pot with a decorative spreader. Grouping the items to showcase color variation (yellow vs. white cheeses with meats situated in between) with different size variations broadens the spectrum and invites creative “fill in” options based on color, flavor, season, or theme. The presentation should be invitingly abundant, so try to cover as much of the surface as possible. For splashes of color, tuck in garden herbs such as summer basil or springs of rosemary or for more drama, flower petals, tropical trail mix, or bright yellow dried mango or pineapple rings. Antipasti items such as bocconcini, peppadew peppers, mixed olives, or pickles add a colorful, earthy component.

If the board is big enough to include crackers and bread, they always look cozy packed in but are just as obliging served in a basket alongside. An assortment of sliced nut bread, a couple types of crackers, one butter and one seeded, or some cheese straws are good bets, but also be mindful of dietary preferences, so include glutenfree crackers, parmesan crisps for the keto-minded, or crudités for the less carnivorous.

Entice guests to dig in by including tongs and cocktail forks for easy lift-off, as well as colorful cocktail napkins and appetizer plates to encourage mingling.

Finally, no matter how resplendent the cheeseboard can be, its lasting impression will require the support of great wine and good friends, so pop the corks, raise the glasses, and Carpe diem.