No self respecting cocktail party, especially thrown by a Vegan Cheese book owner, would be complete without..drum roll please..The Cheese Plate! you will be making your own sumptuous offerings very soon. Here are a few tips on putting together ultimate vegan cheese plate.

Although cheese itself is a near perfect snack, complementing it with crisp and chewy textures, salty and sweet flavors and fresh and juicy contrasts can truly delight the senses.

Follow these simple rules to ensure a winning cheese plate every time:

Pick 3-5 cheeses to avoid overwhelming your guests.

Try to include a variety of textures and flavors:

Soft: Camembert, Herbed Farmer’s Cheese, Triple Peppercorn
Hard: Cheddar, Swiss, Aged Feta, Apple Smoked Gouda
Blue: Gorgonzola, Danish Blue

Sweet: Maple Fig Double Cream, Dark Chocolate Brie, Chai Spiced

Try the ‘opposites attract’ rule:

Pair a hard cheese with a soft baguette, a soft cheese with a crispy cracker. A salty cheese with a sweet jam or preserve, and a dry cheese with a serving of juicy fruit.

Set out a variety of sweet and savory tidbits to accompany your cheeses:

A selection of breads, including sliced baguette, bread sticks, and crackers in all different shapes and sizes. It’s a good idea to vary taste and texture among the breads as well as the cheeses.

Condiments and pickled vegetables, such as sweet preserves, tart chutneys, and spicy mustards, plus marinated artichoke hearts, cornichons, olives and roasted red peppers.

Various sweet and salty items, caramelized pecans or spiced nuts, and fresh, seasonal and dried fruits such as apricots, figs, cherries, apples, and pears.

Label each cheese so that your guests know what they’re eating and can jot the name down if they find one they really like.

It can also be helpful to pre-cut hard and semi-firm cheeses into bite-size pieces. Creamy cheeses should always be kept whole on the plate with a spreader for guests to use. Bleu cheeses should be served in chunks or the wedge. Display the cheeses in different forms, some can be cut into spears, wedges, and cubes, for visual appeal.

Finally, allow for about 3 ounces of cheese per person. Unless you’re inviting me. You’ll need a lot more if I’m coming! Ha!

CHEESE PAIRINGS

When pairing cheese with alcohol, whether wine, beer or spirit, it helps to think of either complementary or contrasting flavors. Typically, the more pungent the cheese the more of a full character you want your wine, beer or spirit to be.

Some cheeses show their best qualities when the pairing is very different, while others stand out when paired with a complementary flavor. I’ll leave it to you to explore!

You are now ready to put all this information to good use. Thank you again for purchasing Vegan Cheese, Simple, Delicious, Plant Based Recipes. ! Look forward to seeing all your cheesy creations, so please be sure to tag me @julesaron with #vegancheesebook. Cheers and happy entertaining!