The holiday season is here and that means entertaining is on everyone's mind. A cheese board is simple and elegant. You can make it festive and have wine pairings too. I think it's fun to use some items that are interesting and perhaps local. It is great to share something special with your friends that can be thoughtful but not labor intensive.
I used four cheeses from Kenny's farmhouse cheese, a favorite brand of many local chefs. I kept seeing these on cheese plates from places like Harvest and Wiltshire on Market and was intrigued. I did some research and ordered a few to try. I chose the Kentucky rose which is creamy and briny, an asiago which is salty and complex, a white cheddar and a smoked gouda. You can order them at www.kennyscheese.com. They also have yummy gift boxes!
I also added some creamy boursin to the mix to have a nice variety. To go with the cheese, I chose some herbed crostini from whole foods, raincoast crisps which i love because they are nutty and sweet, and garlic and herb breadsticks. I wanted to add in some other items that would pair nicely. I chose two different types of marinated olives from the bar at whole foods, some addictive rosemary marcona almonds and some pretty blackberries.
I also used a little glass to corral some picks for the olives. You can find several different kind of picks at world market and i think it is a little upgrade from toothpicks. I garnished the board with fragrant rosemary and added some satsuma mandarins which are so pretty with their green leaves.
You must be logged in to post a comment.