Tips For a Great Cheese Board

I absolutely love cheese! One could even say cheese is my weakness. Whether it's Swiss, Havarti, Gruyère or an intense Blue Cheese, I will devour it all. Cheese also brings people together through its sharp, nutty, and melty goodness. In my belief the best part about making a cheese board is that you can pair your favorite cheeses with literally any foods you want. We are the curators of our own fabulous pre or post meal snack. Cheese boards can also be quite seasonal. My cheese board speaks to the fall! Although summer has not quite ended I am gearing up for fall flavors and incoming seasonal ingredients.

Here are some tips for elevating a simple cheese board to a top notch snack. Firstly, having a nice variety of cheeses that are either aged, soft, firm, or blue allows for many textures and flavors on your board. On my cheese board I served a soft Brie, an extra Aged Sharp Cheddar and a nutty Gruyère. For a party of about 6-8 people I find that three-four cheeses is the perfect amount. Now of course you can hold the mindset the more the merrier, which I definitely do not oppose, as it is extremely hard to gauge how much cheese your guests will consume. However, having fruit, vegetables, and or meat to accompany your cheeses is an excellent way to yield more food.

I decided to poach pears for my cheese board, as a good pear is one of my absolute favorite fall fruits. Many people are intimidated by the idea of poaching, but it is much easier than one would expect. All you have to do is peel your pears, cut them either in half or quarters, and core each pear by scooping out the center with a spoon. Once completed, boil water and sugar in a large saucepan on high heat and wait until the sugar is dissolved. Once dissolved, gently place your pears in the water and cover and cook the pears on a low boil for 15-25 minutes. Poaching is gentle and slow stove-top cooking in which the longer the pears sit in their syrup after cooking the more delicious they taste.

Lastly, having an assortment of different accompaniments on your cheese board makes it even better. On my board I included honey for sweetness, homemade raspberry jam for a fruity touch, and Dijon mustard for a bit of a kick. With fall coming soon I will post another cheese board that reflects the nuances of autumn and its savory, spicy, and sweet flavors.