the anatomy of a perfect cheese plate

If you know Stefan and I at all, you know we have a thing for cheese.  It is our go-to cocktail-hour, afternoon-treat, or easy-dinner fare.  We always try to keep a couple of good varieties on hand for an impromptu visit from friends, of which we have had many of these past few weeks. 

A perfect cheese plate requires a few things:

1. A mix of animals
By that I mean a little cow, a little sheep and a little goat's milk cheese.  Also always a real winner is a blend of all three.  My favorite trio cheese is definitely La Tur:

get here

2. A blend of types
I always try to have at least one of each of the following categories:
-Hard, (preferably Swiss) mountain cheese (Try Cave-aged Gruyere or Appenzeller) 
-Super-soft and luxurious brie-style cheese (Try Fromager d'affinois or Saint Andre) 
-Blue! (Try Saint Agur or Point Reyes Blue)

3. Some non-cheese accompaniments
You can't go wrong with classic, sweet grapes, but almost any fruit can be a perfect accompaniment to its cheesy counterparts: juicy melon, succulent stone fruit, or - my personal favorite - crunchy persimmons.

Speaking of grapes, did you know the best way to serve grapes is to cut that big bulk of fruit down into single sized portions?  I had no idea until my fav blog shared this article.  You can pile the small bundles together so it still looks like a big bunch, but people can more easily take a few without leaving the not-so-pretty stems bare on your platter.

from here

4. Really, REALLY good bread
Go hog wild and splurge on the most expensive baguette you can find.  Fortunately, the price premium for the best (v. the mediocre) is a mere buck or two.  SO worth it.

What are your fav cheeses?

xoxo
KK