Arrange cheese in a wheel shape and add crackers and fruit around them.
A cheese dish can be an elegant, diverse assortment or, simply a plate of cheese, depending on your presentation. Cheese and crackers is an ordinary appetizer but that doesn't mean your appetizer has to taste ordinary. Go beyond cheddar and mozzarella and offer your guests the opportunity to experience bold, new flavors. An ornate cheese platter makes an succulent appetizer for a dinner party, while a simple but flavorful display is more appropriate for a smaller gathering.
Instructions
1. Count the number of people attending your gathering. A cheese platter becomes unpleasant when the cheese to cracker or fruit ratio is heavily lopsided. Estimate about 2 oz. of cheese and four crackers per person in attendance.
2. Diversify the texture and taste of your cheeses. Enhance the texture by crumbling your Gouda or feta into a small bowl and mixing in a few drops of olive oil to make spreading the cheese easier. Set a small knife inside the dish and place the bowl on your platter. If you already have two full flavor cheeses, add mild flavors and textures such as mozzarella or brie.
3. Scoop out soft cheeses into a small dish or bowl and add a spreading knife. Creamy cheeses such as brie and St. Andre present better outside a wedge. Another option is to get a large wheel of creamy cheese, cut off the top of the hardened layer and insert a small spoon or knife directly into the wheel.
4. Line your cheese platter with crackers, bread and fruit that complement your cheese selection. Wheat and water crackers are light in flavor and pair well with most cheeses. Add small slices of French bread. Make fans of green apple slices around the platter edges. The tartness of thinly sliced green apple makes a flavorful combination with cheese.
5. Arrange your cheese, crackers and fruit on an oversize serving platter. Your platter should be large enough to allow 2 inches of space between types of cheese, crackers or fruit. Reaching for an item on a crowded cheese tray is cumbersome for guests and frustrating for the host when the cheese spills off the side.
Tags: cheese platter, crackers fruit, your cheese, cheese crackers, cheese crackers fruit, green apple, into small
