How to make your own Cheese Platter?

An easy and delicious cheese board is perfect for a party, holiday entertaining, or any get-togethers! 

At Les Gastronomes, we are very conscious of product quality and we strongly advise to build your own cheese platter. As the more you cut a cheese the more you impact its quality, so imagine that your cheese is pre-cut in small pieces many hours before your event, all these beautifully cut small pieces are now drying and oxidizing.

It’s time to take a shot on building your own cheese board!  

What cheese to buy for your cheese board?  3 to 6 Cheeses
- 1 familiar flavor preferably a hard cheese (Comte, Beaufort, Cheddar or Parmesan)
- 1 exciting flavor like an extra-tangy goat cheese (Chabichou), or an off-the-wall flavor like ash ripened cheese (Saint-Maure de Touraine or Valencay) 
- 1 stimulating flavor like a blue cheese either a Roquefort or a Valdeon
- 1 or 2 varieties of milk cheeses, we like the Brillat-Savarin for its creaminess or Camembert di Bufala, you can complete with Truffle Brie, Camembert or Chaource.
- 1 aged cheese something like an Aged Comte or an Aged Gouda

What cold cuts can I add? 3 cold cuts
- Beef bresaola a classic that everyone likes
- Turkey bresaola giving the platter extra color and a Beef Alternative
- Beef Cecina de Leone more depth to the taste

Do we add Fruits & Vegetables?   2 or 3
It is always nice to condiment your platter with the following products:
Black and/or green olives, cherry tomatoes, some leafs,
Figs, apples, pears & grapes pair very well with cheese, they add depth of taste and some texture.

Butter, Chutney or Jam? 2 or 3
It all depends on your origins, French will always go for butter, completing with chutney or jam is always about a personal preference. I would tend to go for onions chutney and raspberry jams.

Bread or crackers?

- Baguettes or Mini Baguettes are always a preferred option (always put them a few minutes in a hot oven before serving).
- Sourdough Bread
- Sliced baguette crostini drizzled with olive oil, salt and thym (brown in the oven at 180 degrees)
- Crackers
- Breadsticks