Summer Cheese Platter 101

Glorius summer memories can be made with friends trading stories and chatting in the sun around a beautiful cheese and charcuterie platter. Below are our tips and our choices for this weekend’s summer cheese & charcuterie platter.

1. Choose cheeses that pair well with summer flavours.

  • Gruyere
  • Sharp Cheddar
  • Gouda
  • Brie
  • Manchego
  • Mini Goat Cheese Log with Flower Pedals
  • Feta

When serving more than one cheese be sure to include a variety of dissimilar cheeses like a soft, creamy cheese, a crumbly cheese, like feta or a blue cheese, and firm cheeses. 

Tip: Bring your cheese out of the fridge an hour before you plan to serve. This will give the flavours a chance to bloom and will make the harder cheeses softer to slice.

2. Place Empty Bowls and Slices of Cheese on Platter

Add a few small bowls or jars to your board for what could be filled with foods like honey, almonds, jam and chocolate or the like. Bowls do a nice job of separating cheeses and charcuterie. And don’t forget that Herma’s Signature Products look beautiful and are delicious served out of something like a Margherita Glass or little crystal dishes.

After that place your cheeses on the platter and let them take center stage.  

3. Charcuterie

Charcuterie is next. It refers to a wide variety of prepared or preserved meat like sausage, pâté, salami, ham or bacon. We love ribbons of Prosciutto placed here and there along with round slices of Chorizo. For variety, and to make it easy, find packages in our coolers that contain a variety of Italian meats.

4. Bread & Crackers

We have always loved thin slices of toasted baguette which is especially nice for the soft, creamy cheeses. Of course we also carry a varied selection of crackers from the Fine Cheese Co. called Toast for Cheese that are absolutely delicious paired with cheese.

5. Summer Fruits & Greens

  • watermelon
  • strawberries
  • cherries
  • peaches
  • cherry tomatoes
  • cucumbers
  • zucchini ribbons

But feel free to add anything you love here, including snap peas, radish, apricots, plums, figs, grapes, and other types of melon. Of course, your fruit could be as simple as a fruit spread and/or little snippets of grapes left on the vine.

Tip: Consider wrapping a peach slice with prosciutto and drizzling with balsamic. Yum!

Tip: Create a shish kabob containing a ribbon of Prosciutto, Manchego, cubed, and watermelon.

6. Fill the bowls!

At this point, fill up the bowls you set out at the beginning. 

  • olives
  • balsamic glaze
  • fruit spreads
  • honey
  • almonds
  • chocolate 
  • Herma’s Signature Products like Lemo-licious or Savoury Cheddar Spread. 

Tip: If you have an abundance of a certain ingredient, feel free to place an item, such as almonds, in more than one place. This also makes it easier for guests to reach for it. 

Tip: The rich and complex flavors of balsamic vinegar complement a wide variety of cheeses, enhancing the overall taste experience. Some classic cheese options to pair with balsamic vinegar include aged Parmesan, creamy Gorgonzola, tangy goat cheese, and sharp cheddar.

7. Greenery

Tuck some greenery into any remaining open spaces.

  • fresh arugula
  • fresh basil
  • baby’s breath or a few little flowers