How to Design a Cheese Tray

Cheese is reasonably priced, easy to serve and comes in a variety of flavors and shades of orange, yellow and white. The downside is a plate of sliced cheeses looks rather boring. Combining the cheeses with fruits and crackers on a bed of leafy greens adds pizzazz to the presentation. Figure on 4 oz. of cheese per guest for a generous portion. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Instructions

1

Calculate how much cheese you need to purchase. Select cheeses that appeal to the majority of people. The cheeses should be firm so slicing and cubing doesn't result in a mess. Farmer's cheese is not a good choice but Swiss and Parmesan work well.

2

Use a smaller tray rather than a larger one so the tray looks full. A few slices or cubes on a big tray look stingy, even if the amount of the cheese is the same as that on a smaller tray.

3

Choose a dark green lettuce or a vegetable like kale to line the tray. The contrast between the yellows of the cheese and the green of the leaves is attractive. The kale or other leafy green also keeps the plate looking full even when some of the cheese has been consumed.

4

Wash and dry the kale and lay it on the tray so the ruffled edges are toward the outside of the tray and the stem ends are toward the center of the tray.

5

Vary the colors of the cheeses. The cheese color palette is limited. Put lighter-colored cheeses next to darker orange-colored cheeses. Leave the brightly colored rind on cheeses like Gouda.

6

Vary the shapes of the cheeses. Cut cubes and slices in different sizes -- squares, rectangles and triangles. Serve some cheeses in a wedge with a cheese slicer nearby.

7

Separate the different kinds of cheeses with fruits. Sliced apples and pears, dipped in lemon water so they don't turn brown, add color and flavor to the cheese tray. Scatter small clusters of grapes in red, black, purple and green on the tray.

8

Place a small basket of crackers in the center of the tray. Refill it often so there's always a selection for guests.