<p>I’ve been asked to bring a fruit and cheese tray for a gathering this weekend. This is a rather sophisticated group and I confess that I’m not a cheese connoisseur. I can handle the fruit, but cheese isn’t normally my thing. Any suggestions?</p>
<p>This is my favorite cheeses site with reasonable prices. They always send cheese perfectly ripe and have an amazing selection. You can order from them or just get ideas. Depending on number of people, I’d do an assortment of cheese types and some from different countries. A couple of blue cheeses, a couple of creamy like Brie and French Munster or Italian Tellagio, some hard cheeses like a good aged cheddar and Spanish Machengo, a goat cheese or 2…yum!</p>
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<p>An assortment is always a good idea…something cheddary for the risk-aversive, something creamy like a brie, maybe a smoked gouda and then something really out there for the adventurous. Enjoy!</p>
<p>hmom gave you a great list. My list would include a ch</p>
<p>Brie or St Andre (creamier than Brie)
roquefort or Stilton (less salty than roquefort)
Port Salut (can have strong smell, though the taste is mild)
I like camembert, but many find the smell too strong also.
Asiago or Parmesan
cheddar
Munster
goat cheese (American farm cheeses are quite good)
gouda</p>
<p>Many of these cheeses go very well with pears or apples.</p>
<p>This is where S’s pocket money disappeared last summer:
<a href=“Gourmet Cheese, Charcuterie, Gift Baskets, Specialty Foods - Formaggio Kitchen”>Gourmet Cheese, Charcuterie, Gift Baskets, Specialty Foods - Formaggio Kitchen;
<p>I don’t know where you’re located, but if it were me, I’d go to my local Whole Foods, set the price, and ask the cheese maven there for a mixture that would add up to that amount.</p>
<p>Then I’d add grapes, apples (whatever is on sale and organic), and pears that I’d been ripening (buy them tomorrow).</p>
<p>Lots of great advice here, but Ditto what dmd77 said. If you don’t have Whole Foods, go to your local natural or upscale market so you can get lots of “tastes” while you decide. Alternate solution – go to Costco, buy a massive hunk of Delice de Bourgogne triple creme. Surround it with fruits mentioned above and a some bland crackers. It’s so packed with fat and calories and lusciousness that everybody will love you (regardless of their level of sophistication re: cheese).</p>
<p>An authentic Swiss Gruyere or it’s French equivalent Comte are delicious additions to a cheese board, and balance the soft cheeses with their firm texture and nutty flavors.</p>
<p>Uh. They do sell quit nice assortments of cheese these days at the kinds of grocery stores where regular folk shop. Sheesh.</p>
<p>If you add some quince paste (“membrillo”), people will really think you know what’s up!</p>
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<p><a href=“http://spanishfood.about.com/od/dessertssweets/a/Membrillo.htm[/url]”>http://spanishfood.about.com/od/dessertssweets/a/Membrillo.htm</a></p>
<p>accent a cheese plate?
<a href=“http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/570801[/url]”>http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/570801</a></p>
<p>This is a bad, bad thread. I just ordered cheese, the day after DH announced I need to stop cooking with it and help keep him on a no fat, no sugar (I already have Quince paste) diet!</p>
<p>Cheese is indeed sold at normal everyday supermarkets. However, the normal supermarkets in my area don’t have the personal assistance with selection and assembly that an upscale market will offer. If I want something both gorgeous and delicious, with help to me determine exactly what I want – I am not going to stop and shop at the jewel or the king food etc.</p>
<p>My kid #2 worked at a cheese shop for three years (and still fills in when he’s home). He loved it when people asked questions like this!</p>
<p>I think this is what he would suggest:</p>
<p>Basic four:</p>
<p>Some mild, creamy French cheese. Brie, d’Affinois, triple creme.</p>
<p>A fresh chevre. There are lots of good ones, domestic and imported. Or you can go with a chevre with a soft rind.</p>
<p>Some sort of blue. Not necessarily Roquefort, maybe Stilton or Gorgonzola. His favorite is Roaring 40s from New Zealand.</p>
<p>An aged Gouda – Old Amsterdam and Prima Donna are widely available, quality cheeses.
or
Good, sharp aged Cheddar. (There are a number of good Canadian ones, or artisanal American. Unfortunately, the big brands are really inferior.)</p>
<p>Branching out from there (to add or substitute for one of the foregoing):</p>
<p>A harder, salty cheese. Parmesan (which is a little sweet, too). Manchego. Idiazabal is a Basque hard salty sheep’s-milk cheese with a light smoked flavor. Romerin is basically Manchego crusted with rosemary, and it’s great, too. Or maybe a goat Gouda – Midnight Moon is popular.</p>
<p>A munster-type cheese (soft, washed rind). In the quality-cheese world, these tend to be strong-flavored. Reblochon de Savoie is good, or Chimay. Oka from Quebec. Taleggio is a love-it-or-hate-it cheese (I love it, he hates it), very pungent.</p>
<p>One of the mixed-milk soft Italian cheeses (cow-goat-sheep). Robiola is pretty widely available, but there are several others. My wife’s favorite.</p>
<p>Camembert. THE French cheese. Try to get one that’s just right. Not unlike brie, but a little firmer, and stronger, more complex flavor.</p>
<p>Morbier. A French cheese that’s maybe a step back in strength from the strong munsters, and a little firmer, but still very flavorful. Also looks striking because it has a swath of volcanic ash running through the middle.</p>
<p>Speaking of striking looks, consider various English cheeses that are visually striking: Sage Darby (a cheddar-type cheese marbled with sage), Guiness (same, but with stout), various versions with port, Huntsman (a club sandwich of cheddar and Stilton).</p>
<p>Thanks SO much for the various suggestions! i’ll make notes and speak with a bit of intelligence when I go shopping. I understand that Sam’s and Costco have nice cheese selections in my area, but I also know of a great deli that has nice cheeses. I may do some ‘window’ shopping before I make my final selections…I’ll let you know what selections and how they were received by those gathered.</p>
<p>Remember to bring the cheese out of the fridge at least an hour before serving. Most people serve cheese too cold.</p>
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<p>dmd, that’s exactly the suggestion I would make. I have never seen a selection of different, and delicious!, cheeses like that at Whole Foods, not even at cheese specialty shops. Going into their cheese cave with their expert is quite the adventure!</p>
<p>My very favorite cheese is White Stilton with cranberries. I don’t know anyone that doesn’t like it.</p>
<p>I like st Andre- which is a triple creme and probably half butterfat.
BUt I would be irritated if I was told to bring a cheese plate- cheese is really expensive for the good stuff. ( however- Trader Joes has good prices)</p>
<p>My book group often brings cheese plates for snacks.
Usually some sort of chevre soft cheese, a hard cheese like a gruyere and a few unusual ones, like ash coated and something with herbs/spices.</p>
<p>The new thing is also to have quince/fig paste I guess to cleanse the palate?</p>
<p>( there is also a good recipe on the frozen phyllo dough package- involving a wheel of brie and dried cranberries- does that sound right? it has been a while)</p>
<p>Costco has a nice goat cheese trio, the fig one is addictive.</p>
<p>Trader Joe’s should have some nice unusual ones for a reasonable price yet smaller quantity than Costco</p>
<p>I like sprinkling a few handfuls of nuts (roasted almonds, pistachios) around the cheeses on the plate. Looks nice. Gives the non-cheeseheads something to eat.</p>