An Easy Guide for Crafting a Cheese Board for Cider & Cheese Day!
Crafting a cheese board seems intimidating: What cheeses should I use? Do I need to add meat? Bread or crackers or both? What else goes on it? How much should I plan to buy?; but it doesn’t have to be! Here’s a quick, easy, and friendly guide no how to build the perfect board for National Cider and Cheese Pairing Day this Saturday, July 25th! You also still have time if you live in the midwest and west to pick up the TCE Trio from Press Then Press here!
Where do I start?
The first place to start is how many people you’re planning on. This will inform all of your other decisions, from how much cider you need, how much cheese, and so on. A close tie to the number people, is how will the cheese board be served? Are you serving the board as an appetizer, or as a main?
A rough guide is for an appetizer, you’ll need 1 ounce of each cheese per guest. For mains, it’s 2 to 4 ounces of each per person. We suggest always going with more, because it never hurts to have extra cheese around! Multiply the number of guests by those numbers to come up with the amount of each cheese you need to purchase.
What kind of cheese should I buy?
Now that you know how much you need to buy, the next question is what do you buy? To be honest, there’s no right or wrong answer, but variety is key. One option is to pick out one from each of the following:
Soft - Brie, Chevre, or Camembert
Semi-Soft - Goat, Mozzarella, or Havarti
Semi-Firm - Gouda (or our favorite, Smoked Gouda), Provolone, or Gruyere
Firm - Sharp Cheddar, Pecorino, or Swiss Emmental
Another option, is to pick one each from the following types:
Aged - Aged Cheddar, Aged Gouda, or Aged Asiago
Soft - Neufchâtel, Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella, or Stracchino
Firm - Parmigiano-Reggiano, Swiss, or Dry Monterey
Blue - Stilton, Danish Blue, or Gorgonzola
Pick out a variety and you can’t go wrong!
What else do I need?
Like the cheese, variety is key, and you can make it as simple or extravagant as you like. Other options to include:
Bread/Crackers - Something that pair well with the cheeses, especially the soft, semi-soft and blue cheese. Things like crackers, breads, crisps, nut crackers, and the like. Try lightly oiling and grilling bagette!
Charcuterie - Sometimes cheese isn’t enough and you need to add some meat. Common ones include salami, pepperoni, prosciutto, and the like. More specialized include chorizo, jamón, pâtés or rillettes.
Pickled and Brined - While some of the cheeses like the harder Italian cheeses will be on the saltier side, some of them call out for picked additions. Quick pickled cider vinegar red onions, cured or brined olives, and fermented pickles are all great additions.
Fresh and Dried Fruits - Like the pickled and brined items above, sometimes you need some natural sweetness. Grapes, figs, and berries are all classic options.
Nuts and Seeds - Nuts and seeds often pair well with various cheeses. Pistachios, candies walnuts, and smoked almonds are all great choices.
Other Great Ingredients - Don’t forget to add things like raw honey, local jams and jellies, grained mustards to the board for that special touch.
Where do I get all of these items and how much will it cost?
Nowadays, most of these items can be picked up with a quick trip to your local supermarket and farmers markets. Most grocery stores now have built in cheese shops, with awesome and knowledgeable people running them. Ask questions and get recommendations on what they think would be a great fit for you. Trader Joe’s and Aldi are two great and affordable options to craft a cheese board!
What do you recommend for the Press Then Press TCE Trio Pairing?
If you plan on joining us with the trio, our friends at Press Then Press have laid out some great recommendations for crafting a cheese board that pairs well with the Alpenfire Ember, Chatter Creek Ashmead’s Kernel, and Far West Orchard Blend #1. They recommend:
Camembert or a Stilton paired with the Alpenfire
Blue Cheese (or stronger flavored soft cheeses) with the Chatter Creek
Brie (Mt Tam by Cowgirl Creamery if it’s available locally) with the Far West
Charcuterie including salami, pork rillettes, and prosciutto
Finished off with grapes, apple slices, and almonds
Another option, recommended by Ryan:
Extra Sharp Aged Cheddar, granny smith apples, and prosciutto with the Alpenfire
Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella, peppered salami, and sun-dried tomatoes with the Chatter Creek
Double Smoked Gouda (or Smoked Gouda, if you can’t find it), grilled baguette, cider vinegar quick brined pickles with the Far West
Whether you try our suggestions or come up with your own, make sure you join us this Saturday for National Cider & Cheese Pairing Day!