Build a Warm Weather Cheese Platter
It’s summertime and the livin’ is easy, especially if you like cheese and wine. Here are 5 easy steps for building a delicious warm weather cheese platter.
- Choose softer cheeses: Hard-aged cheeses like Manchego and Gouda have fat fatty and/or dense textures that don’t hold up when it’s too warm (they get “sweaty” with oil and taste waxy). Instead, choose soft cheeses like fresh goat, soft-ripened cheeses like Brie, or semi-firm cheeses like young Cheddar. Not only will they hold up, but they tend to be milder in flavor, which suits those hot days and nights just fine.
- Crunch on light, crisp crackers: Avoid anything too thick, herby, or salty. Let the cracker be a delicate vehicle for the cheese instead of a main player.
- Offer chilled fresh fruit: Keep your fruit on ice (or on a platter on ice) separate from the cheeses. Its cool juiciness is the perfect complement to creamy cheeses.
- Speaking of cool juiciness: Iced rosé or white wine is a summertime cheese’s best friend. The acidity cuts through the richness and amplifies flavor, while the coolness is uber-refreshing.
- No sun, please: Keep your cheese in the shade and don’t let it sit in the heat for more than a couple hours. Store a backup supply somewhere cooler and replace the entire platter after that time.