Composing a cheese plate can seem like a daunting task. We've seen Instagram and TikTok takeover the "charcuterie board" trend with extravagant full table displays. Well, here at Cato Corner, we're more traditional and like our cheese to do the talking. For us, simple is best.
We follow a few short rules when we compose cheese plates for our family & friends, and we thought you'd find them helpful.
Choosing cheese. First and foremost, choose cheese you like! To have a rounded plate we recommend at least 3 cheeses with different textures and flavors. For example: Gossamer (a creamy, soft camembert-style), Bloomsday (firm, medium-mild with a cheddary bite), and Dairyere (hard, medium-strong with a savory, oniony flavor). Or for stronger cheese lovers: Celeste (soft with a cheesecakey texture and yeasty aromas), Aged Bloomsday (hard, sharp, with a sweet backbone), and Black Ledge Blue (strong & creamy, with an earthy finish). We recommend about 1 ounce per cheese per person, so a plate for 4 people would mean 1/4 pound of each type of cheese.
Cheese is the centerpiece. Cut firm cheeses into shapes like triangles, sticks, or rectangles & cubes. Hard, crystalline cheeses can be crumbled along their natural faults using your hands or a knife. Small wheels like a camembert or blue cheese wedges you can put directly on the board with a knife for folks to cut their own share off of. Lay the cheeses down first - in piles or get more creative - then begin to fill the space between with accoutrements.
Adding accoutrements. This is where most people get worked up - don't overthink it! Not everything has to be "the perfect pairing" and it's fun to test things out. We recommend adding at least 1 cracker type, 1 cured meat, and 1 jam or honey. You can get more creative with fresh fruits or vegetables, chocolate, nuts, and dried fruits. Put these items in the space between the cheeses.
Don't forget to garnish. By now your plate is pretty full but by adding a twig of fresh rosemary or thyme to fill the small white spaces can elevate a board to new levels!
Something old, something new, something bloomy, something blue! Everything you need to put together a perfect cheese board. This package features 4 of our favorite cheeses to create a balanced board, accompanied by Oui Charcuterie salami, Savor shortbread crackers, and Beth’s Farm Kitchen jam.