If you keep your eye on Glam you would probably know by now that we are a little obsessed with all things cheese. It really is hard to think of anything much better than a sunny, warm day, a crisp, cool glass of wine and a heavenly board filled with all of the cheese. In an ode to cheese, we will be exploring all of the options when it comes to putting together the perfect cheese plate…
Roping in the cheese expert, Kris Lloyd from Woodside Cheese Wrights, we will breakdown the tips, tricks, trends and everything you need to know to wow with your next cheeseboard.
The cheeseboard is basically a ‘trending’ topic these days. It is so on point, so chic, so now (you get the point)… But it sure has come a long way over the past ten years. Remember when a cheese plate meant an orange speared with toothpicks adorned with chunks of Coon cheese and colourful baby pickled onions. Served up with a good old packet of Jatz biscuits and its partner in crime, a big bowl of Philly Cream Cheese which had been blended with a packet of French Onion Soup… Ok, so everything has its place, but we are kind of glad that those days are over.
With what can only be described as the most glorious abundance and selection of cheese now available, there really is no reason that your cheeseboard shouldn’t reign supreme at every BBQ, dinner party or girl’s night.
From local, imported, soft, hard, blue, cow, goat, sheep and buffalo milks, washed rinds and bitey cheddars… The list goes on. With such an exceptional selection of cheeses so readily available we can assemble a sophisticated cheese platter to suit everyone’s taste. Unless they hate cheese, in which case, they aren’t invited anyway!
Kris says that because of the pure abundance of cheeses available that people often become overwhelmed when putting a platter together. She has thrown together a few tips to get us started:
SWEET START
Cheese is often served as an end to a meal, with a glass of red as the night winds down. Kris says that she tends to serve cheese at the beginning of a dinner with a crisp glass of bubbles. The perfect start to any meal.
THE GOLDEN RULE
Stick to Kris’ golden rule – ALWAYS allow a minimum of 30 – 60 minutes at room temperature to allow for full flavour (depending on style and size of cheese). Basically Kris says this is one of the most important rules and it is so often ignored. There is nothing worse than cheese served straight out of the fridge… Like a good red wine, cheese needs its time to breathe. So always open the wrapper and give it the time it deserves to be at its very best.
GOOD THINGS COME IN THREES
It is usually best to stick to 3 cheeses on a board. Anymore and there are too many conflicting flavours, the board can look squished and really, 3 gives you plenty of room to move and play with the types of cheese you showcase.
BEST FRIENDS
The pairing of accompaniments on a cheeseboard are so important. Kris says that she always keeps it simple. Don’t go crazy with the flavoured biscuits and crackers or overboard with the fruit. You want the cheese to shine and keeping it simple means that the full flavour of the cheese can be enjoyed.
WHAT’S ON THE MENU
Don’t forget to plan ahead. If you have decided on serving a cheese plate at the start of a dinner, then don’t go serving up a whole leg of lamb to your guests. You want them to fill up and be able to enjoy the stunning cheeseboard that you have put the effort in to perfect.
Kris says that she tends to make sure the dishes she is serving after a cheese plate are on the lighter side so that her guests can enjoy the entire gastronomic experience.
In the coming months Kris will help us explore the following cheese-y options to putting together the ultimate cheeseboard:
- ‘Styling a Theme’
- ‘Different (Cheese) Styles’
- ‘Different Milks’
- Using ‘One Cheese Only’
Within these themes Kris will explore the best accompaniments, the best wine matches to the cheeses and just general cheese-y goodness. Our mouths are drooling just thinking about it. It makes us want to crack open the sparkling, sit back in the sun and get totally full on all of the cheese.
So keep your eye out for more hard (cheese pun totally intended) hitting cheese must knows. And you really will want to know…
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