The Cheese Insider

Some of the most common questions our cheesemongers get asked in the cheese shop are: “What is the best way to serve cheese?” “How much cheese should we serve per person?” “How many different cheeses should we serve on a cheese board?”

Cheese always tastes best when served at room temperature. The flavor and aroma emerge once the cheese has had a chance to warm up. A smaller wedge of cheese should not take more than an hour to come to room temperature.

It is best to unwrap the cheese you are going to serve and cut off the amount that will be consumed. You want to unwrap the cheese to avoid trapping any moisture and let it breathe. It is best to cover it with a glass dome, cake cover, or overturned bowl. You do this so that the cheese does not dry out as it warms up. Many blue cheeses want to “weep” as they warm up, simply pat the cheese a bit with a clean paper towel before serving.

A dark platter, slate board, or wooden cutting board makes your cheese plate more inviting. The light colors of the cheese are set off well with a dark background of your cheese board. Don’t crowd the cheeses on the serving board, and consider using a small amount of grapes, cut apples or pears with the cheese. I prefer leaving the cheeses in a small wedge of single piece, versus cutting the cheeses into individual slices or servings. It allows your guests the chance to cut a piece that they would like to try. I also recommend that you have a separate knife for each of the cheeses on the platter. Many times a smaller, butter type knife works well. The only exception would be if you are serving a harder cheese like parmesan, which will require a sharper knife.

The question of whether you should eat the rind on the cheese depends on the cheese. Just like some people enjoy the skin on potatoes and carrots, many people enjoy the stronger flavor of the rind on some cheeses. The soft bloomy white rinds on brie, camembert, and many wash rind cheeses should be left on. Two of my favorite cheeses that I enjoy eating some portion of the rind are: Pleasant Ridge Reserve, from Uplands Cheese, and Red Rock, from Roelli Cheese Haus. Both of these cheeses have a rind with a bold, full flavor. I think it is best to allow your guests the option to choose; many times they will ask you if it is ok to eat the rind.

I recommend that you should plan on two to three ounces of cheese for each person. As far as how many different varieties of cheese should be served on a cheese board, I suggest no more than four. A suggested idea may be to have a milder, creamy, cow’s milk cheese, a goat or sheep milk cheese, aged cheddar, and a full flavored blue. You want to present cheeses that are appealing to the eye as well as the palate. I like to serve a mild cracker or sliced French style bread with your cheese plate. Be creative and let your guests be a bit adventurous, they will usually find one of the cheeses as their favorite.

Michael C. Thomas is co-owner of Schoolhouse Artisan Cheese with his wife Janice. With locations in Ellison Bay and Egg Harbor, they aim to bring the best of Wisconsin artisan cheeses to Door County, and with “The Cheese Insider” Michael hopes to bring all things cheese to readers of the Pulse.