with Heidi Pope, Cheese Buyer
The holidays bring out my inner Martha Stewart... and my inner psycho. Grand plans of fancy spreads can become a harried reality - honestly, who has the time? Fortunately, cheese is easy to please. Even your basic cheese-and-cracker platter can go from mundane to gourmet with barely any extra effort - just a change in perspective. These tasty appetizers multitask as elegant edible decorations for your table as well.
Here are some simple cheese spreads. An attractive platter and cute cheese knives go a long way to dress things up, but even well-placed porcelain white plates and bowls, baskets covered in cloth napkins, or wooden/bamboo cutting boards will do the trick. Don't forget the herbs and fruit! Whether or not people eat them, they'll make your platters pop.
- Surround a log of seasoned goat cheese with an arrangement of nice crackers, using dried cranberries or fresh grapes as accents.
- Snip sprigs of fresh herbs (ie: sage, thyme, rosemary) to place atop cheese blocks or spreads. You can also use larger bunches of herbs and hardy kale tucked around and under the cheese blocks for flare.
- Surround a large bowl of grapes or other fruits (ie: strawberries, an opened pomegranate) with a stylish arrangement of cheese and crackers on a large platter.
- Serve baked, wrapped brie on a board with slices of crusty baguette, accented with fresh strawberries or glistening cranberries.
- Small bowls of paté and hummus (decorated with a sprinkle of paprika and some snipped herbs) will keep the dairy-free folks happy. Also check out Daiya brand dairy-free "cheese."
Not being a fancy cheese expert, I turned Co-op cheese buyer (and fellow foodie) Heidi Pope for tips on how to branch out of my cheddar-jack rut. Here are some of her recommended easy cheesy canapés that are sure to amaze your dinner guests without sending you into breakdown mode preparing them.
- Bellaviva dried pear slices topped with a slice of Courrone Brie, a bit of La Quercia Prosciutto Americano, and a tiny drop of Modenaceti Balsamic Glaze.
- Classic Lazzaroni Bruschette topped with a slice of Olli Toscano salami and a piece of Manchego. Top with finely-chopped herbs.
- Original Sea Salt Mediterranean cracker topped with Vermont Creamery Quark, finely-chopped ham, and a dollop of Bonnie’s Red Pepper jelly.
Enjoy!
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