You can cut solid cheeses into various shapes.
When you are looking for appetizer platters to serve to guests at your party or dinner, consider a cheese tray to give your guests a variety of tastes and textures, all on the same tray. Cheese comes in numerous varieties from a smooth and creamy Brie to a tough and crumbly Parmesan, so a tray that covers multiple types of cheeses is sure to have something for everybody. The presentation of a cheese tray is important as well, since you want to present the cheeses in the right order and with the right accompaniments.
Instructions
1. Select between three and five cheeses that you will put on the tray. These cheeses can form a theme, such as all being from a similar region of the world, all being a similar type of cheese or all the cheeses being the same style but different ages. The cheeses don't necessarily have to form a theme, and can just be your favorite types of cheeses.
2. Remove the cheese from the refrigerator about an hour before you plan on serving the tray. Allow the cheese to reach room temperature in its wrapper.
3. Unwrap the cheese and cut off one piece of each cheese. The size of each piece should be equal to two oz. for each guest you expect. Cut any solid cheeses into wedges.
4. Place the cheese with the mildest flavor onto your tray first. Then place the rest clockwise around the tray, starting with the next mildest cheese until you get to the strongest cheese last. This will be the same sequence that you should serve the cheeses.
5. Place fruit, nuts and small vegetables in between the different cheeses to give the tray some visual contrast. Cut any fruit that is larger than 1-inch on a side into 1-inch cubes. Put crackers or small pieces of thick bread near any of the soft, spreadable cheeses.
6. Put one cheese knife with each block of cheese. If you don't have a set of cheese knives, place a sharp knife with the hard cheeses, and a butter knife or spreader with the soft cheeses.
Tags: cheese tray, cheeses into, form theme, knife with, solid cheeses