The Blue Cheese Board
A Blue Cheese Board is a beautiful and delicious way to explore this style of cheese. Blue cheese has been in existence for centuries. Many of the world's most famous cheeses fall into this category. Tasting them side by side is a great way to really understand the differences and nuances of flavor. It is a fun experience for the cheese lover.
Ingredients
- 1 Wedge Cambozola Cheese
- 1 Wedge Domestic Blue Cheese, Like Bayley Hazen, Point Reyes Blue, Maytag Blue
- 1 Wedge Other Blue Cheeses: Roquefort, Gorgonzola Dolce, Stilton
- Fresh Fruit: Apples, Pears, Grapes, Figs, Blackberries
- Nuts: Walnuts, Pecans, Marcona Almonds
- Castelvetrano Olives
- Crackers
- Honey & Honey Comb
- Fruit Jam, Like "Tart Cherry With Cardamom & Port"
- Fresh herbs or flowers for garnish: Here I chose rosemary and Sea Holly for the wintery feel and blue tones.
Instructions
Prep The Ingredients
- First, gather your ingredients.
- Take the cheeses out of the fridge 30-60 minutes before serving. This will allow the cheese to warm, and the flavors to open up for the best taste experience.
- Next, wash and prep any fruits and vegetables.
- Place jams, honey, and honeycomb in small dishes for serving.
Arrange The Cheese Board
- Start by placing the cheeses on the board. Leave enough room between each so that they are not touching each other, especially as this board is for tasting the differences between the styles of cheese. Because the cheese is the main focus, I keep the accompaniments simpler and smaller. Simple tastes to enhance or offset the cheese.
- Next, place the dishes of jams and honey amongst the cheese. These components form the anchors of the board.
- Fill the board with the rest of the accompaniments. Keep them in groups, tucked around the cheese. I like to balance the board with similar ingredients on opposite sides. This is pleasing visually, but also is great when serving a crowd, as it keeps things close at hand for everyone.
- Lastly, tuck garnishes of herbs and flowers around to give that garden to table feel of freshness and beauty.
Notes
For specific cheese suggestions and more on the different varieties of blue cheese, read the post above, or see The Cheese Guide: All About Blue Cheese.