These are some of my favorite cheeses for a cheese plate:
Pierre-Robert – a cow’s milk triple-cream cheese from the Champagne region of France. Has added creme fraiche for even more creaminess and flavor.
Piave Vecchio – a cow’s milk cheese from the Italian Alps. Vecchio means “aged”, and this cheese has been aged to the point of having a nice, nutty, caramel-like flavor and a bit of a crunchiness due to the salt deposits within the cheese.
Humboldt Fog – a goat’s milk cheese from the Cypress Grove cheese company in Humboldt County, California. When cut, it is said to be reminiscent of the morning fog rolling in.
Banon – a goat’s milk cheese from the Provence region of France. It is wrapped in a chestnut leaf and soaked in eau-de-vie and then allowed to age for several weeks. The resulting product is creamy with a taste of nuttiness.
Abbaye de Beloc – a sheep’s milk cheese from the Pyrenees region of France.This cheese is normally aged for several months and has a mellow flavor.
Roaring 40’s – a blue cow’s milk cheese from Tasmania. This cheese has a nice, ripe flavor with a bit of saltiness. I like to serve it with honeycomb.
Be sure to experiment with a variety of breads and condiments, as well as with wines for pairings.
