How to Build a California Grown Cheese Board
Your guide to building the perfect CA GROWN Cheese Board, the epitome of relaxed, unfussy hosting at its best.
Ingredients
Cheeses
- 1 soft or bloomy-rind cheese
- 1 semi-soft cheese
- 1 hard aged cheese
Fresh Fruit—choose 3-9 of whatever is in season and looks the freshest at the market!
- strawberries
- raspberries
- blackberries
- blueberries
- cherries
- peaches nectarines, and plums
- figs
- grapes
- apples and pears
- persimmons
- tangerines
Dried Fruit—choose 2-3
- dried apricots
- candied citrus
- dried citrus
- dates
- dried figs
- prunes
- raisins
- dried persimmons
Nuts—choose 1-3
- almonds
- pistachios
- walnuts
Sweet and Savory Spreads—at least 1
- honey or make it extra! California Grown Whipped Honey Recipe
- fruit spread like fig jam or Pinot Prune Jam
- mostarda - make it extra! California Prunes sweet and tangy Prune Mostarda
- mustard
Little Pickled Extras—nice to have
- California Ripe Olives
- pickled onions
- marinated artichokes
- Crackers and bread
Garnishes—to make it extra (but effortless)
- fresh herbs
- edible flowers
Instructions
- Remove cheeses from the refrigerator and while still firm, slice semi-soft and hard cheeses for presentation. You can leave soft cheeses as is. Set cheeses aside for about 30 minutes to take the chill off from the refrigerator.
- Arrange cheeses on board. For the soft cheese, slice through with a small serving knife to “get it started” for guests.
- Place small bowls with spreads and pickled extras near cheeses to complement their flavors, and toward the edge of the board or platter to make it easier to access without spilling over the rest of the board.
- Add fresh fruit, dried fruit, and nuts in empty spaces.
- Garnish at the end with fresh herbs and flowers if using.
Notes
Tools for Building an Easy, Effortless California-grown Cheese Board—No Special Tools Required!
- stable cutting board
- very sharp knife for cutting cheese and prepping any fruit and vegetables
- large board or platter
- small knives for soft cheeses
- small serving bowls for spreads and pickled things
- small spoons for spreads
Tried this recipe?Mention @cagrownofficial or tag #CAGROWN!