My tips for building a perfect cheese board.
This past week, I was invited to attend a gorgeous event hosted by Cheeses of Europe in the lovely, quaint French Cheese Board NOLITA location. There were crisp sparkling wines (Champagne, to be exact) to sip on; for munching, we grazed on a spread of creamy pates with an abundant and deliciously shocking amount of depth of flavor into. But of course, the centerpiece of the event was the decadent, humongous, absolutely jaw dropping cheese board that was literally overflowing with mouthwatering Cheeses of Europe.
If you know me, then you know I’m a huge fan of a snack/cheese board, so encountering such an opulent one was a real treat. Not only was it visually stunning, but the cheeses, all hand selected by the Cheeses of Europe team, were some of the best I’ve tasted in ages. And when you think about it, the high quality of the cheeses makes complete sense; the EU’s comprehensive laws around agricultural production methods play a big role in cheese making in the region-- there are strict standards that prohibit mass antibiotic/hormone use and promote strict hygiene methods and sustainable farming practices. These measures not only lead to happier livestock and a healthier planet, but also, of course, tastier cheeses, which I was so lucky to enjoy at the event!
Given how impressive the cheeses I tasted were, when building my next snacking board, I’ll absolutely be including some Cheeses of Europe in the spread. Now, let’s talk about some of my go-to steps for creating an epic board so you can build one soon too:
- When it comes to cheese, focus on variety. Select a mixture of hard and soft cheeses. Perhaps go for a Mimolette (my favorite of the evening with Cheeses of Europe) for your hard cheese. And if you’re serving champagne along with your spread, go for pungent, rich Langres for your soft cheese. Fun fact: Langres is produced in the same region as champagne, making it a classic pairing! And when in doubt, you can absolutely always ask your cheesemonger to make a few recommendations.
- We all know the cheese is the star of the show, but I also always like to include a few *bonus* items on my board to highlight how special the cheese is. I loved that at Cheeses of Europe’s event a few sweet items were strategically included to pair with the savory saltiness of the cheeses— grapes, dried fruit, and a few compotes. I’ll often also add a few pickl-y noshes like olives, capers, and cornichons on my boards. And I usually like to include some sturdy herbs, like rosemary or thyme, sprinkled throughout to add visual interest.
- Up the ante by adding a cooked item to your board. Bonus points for a cheese-based baked good like my family-favorite, baked brie. Brie is mellow and soft and bakes up absolutely perfectly in the oven once wrapped in puff pastry. If you add a baked brie to your platter, be sure to serve it with…
- Bread and crackers! They’re an important component of any cheese board, so be sure to select a variety. Visually, I always go for a few different shapes and especially love to include some sort of very basic water cracker to really let your cheese shine.
I’m so glad you’ve had a chance to take a peek at these scrumptious cheeses and read through some of my big board building tips! I’m excited for my next big cheese platter and hope this little rundown on Cheeses of Europe and how I incorporate them into my board building has inspired you to build your own and to make it magnifique when you do!
Note: I was compensated for visiting the Cheeses of Europe event and for creating this blog post & accompanying social media posts in collaboration with Sopexa, part of the Hopscotch Groupe Agency. All opinions stated here are my own.