Make a Cheese Board
The breeze is getting more and more chilly every day - the holidays really are upon us! While my family and I don’t really celebrate Christmas (because of religion), I am never one to be a grinch at this time of the year because there are many reasons to love this season: hot drinks, super cheesy holiday movies, lots of time to read, my annual holiday tradition of re-watching Love Actually and Elf, and winter illuminations.
Because my husband and I can’t go home to see family (again!) this year, I am currently planning our menu for New Year’s Eve. While it will be a rather small party, I won’t let that dampen my spirits. And so, in the spirit of sharing and spreading holiday cheer, here’s a little tutorial on how to make a cheese board to serve this season.
Who doesn’t love a good cheese board? While all the pairings to consider can be a bit daunting, mine’s rather simple and a no-brainer but still results to “ooohs” and “aaahhs” when served.
STEP 1: Start off with a surface. It can be wooden serving board, a slate board, or even a plate!
Choose 3-4 cheeses and a good mix of mild, sharp, hard, and soft ones. I used sharp cheddar, vintage cheddar, gorgonzola, and camembert. Spread them around the board. I sliced them in different ways: in neat thin sheets, in cubes, in wedges. The vintage cheddar was crumbly but I liked how rustic the uneven slices turned out.
Choose 2-3 spreads/jams. I chose a grainy, spicy mustard and apricot jam and I placed them in the middle of board.
STEP 2: Choose your meats. Ideally, at least 3 kinds. I had only salami and prosciutto on hand but I would have thrown in some cold cuts in there too. You can have fun with the arrangement - make a salami river or roses or just spread them around with abandon.
STEP 3: By now, the board should be coming along beautifully and you can just keep having fun filling in all the remaining spaces with various tastes and textures such as olives, dried fruit, and crackers. You can also use cornichons, fresh fruit, and mini toasts.
STEP 4: Finally, add nuts and maybe something like dark chocolate for contrast.
There’s definitely something for everyone here. As it is tasty and visually engaging, it’s a great conversation starter too - it may even become the star of your holiday table!
