As a cheesemonger at Talula’s Table, I spend most of my days playing with cheese – wrapping, cutting, selling, and my favorite – making cheese boards! Your own local cheese shop is skilled in crafting the boards you want, but with a little knowledge, you can create your own beautiful spread on your own. Creativity, along with some delicious, ripe cheeses, can take you far in the world of entertaining – keep reading for a simple how-to!
What You Need
- A platter, board, slate, or slab – as long as it’s large enough to comfortably display your fromage! I love larger, decorative plates or the classic slates from Brooklyn Slate Co.
4 or 5 different cheeses: You can never have too much, especially with larger parties! Pick a variety – different milks, textures, colors and shapes. We eat as much with our eyes as we do our mouths, and contrasting choices can easily draw your friends in. Fresh, citrusy goat cheeses, silky cow’s milk Camemberts, sticky and pungent washed-rind beauties, piquant and bold sheep’s milk blues, crumbly chunks of cloth-bound Cheddars – they all have a home on your soon-to-be cheese board. Think around 1 ounce per cheese, per person, and add a few all around, just in case.
- Accoutrements: Don’t forget about all of the extra little fixings – a lot of things you can find in your pantry or fridge at home! Salty mixed nuts, sweet dried fruits, fresh seasonal fruits, crusty breads and crisp crackers, and honey are always great, simple pairings for most any cheese. There’s always the classic pairings to follow – cheddar and apples, blue cheese and figs, fresh Chevre and honey, Manchego and Membrillo, etc. It’s fun to be creative and take the traditional pairings a bit further. Right now, my favorite go-to snack is a little hunk of St. Agur, a dreamboat of a blue. It’s a French cow’s milk delight – creamy, lightly peppery, and super dense. I’ve been pairing it with my new favorite cracker – Effie’s Oatcakes, in Pecan. The sweetness of the cracker tones down the blue just a hint, and follows the idea of the traditional blue & sweet pairing. Another recent favorite are these amazing, mini jars of jam from Quince & Apple – they are perfectly sized for a board and come in a million different flavors! The Pear with Honey and Ginger? To DIE for.
What You Do
Take stock of your cheese-making inventory. Arrange your cheeses from left to right, or clockwise, depending on your board, from mildest to strongest. Your palate will thank you! I like leaving the smaller, individual size cheeses whole, while slicing down the cut-to-order Cheddars to more manageable bites. Add your extras and put a few different knives – little butter knives for the soft wheels, triangular shaped knives for the more firm Cheddars. I love putting jam and honey into little teeny jars and sticking a small wooden spoon into it – your guests and friends will appreciate the extra touches.- Play around with it – I am always surprised with how many fun things I have in my kitchen that can turn a few pieces of cheese into something beautiful and friend-worthy!
Talula’s Table is located at 102 West State Street, Kennett Square, PA. Check them out at talulastable.com.
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