For a well-rounded cheese platter include different types of cheeses, savory extras, and sweet extras – plus different kinds of crackers, of course.

Cheeses: Include on your platter soft cheeses, semi-hard cheeses and hard cheeses.

Savory extras: Marinated olives or vegetables, pickles, raw nuts, smoked nuts, prosciutto, salami, smoked fish, bread sticks, artichoke hearts.

Sweet extras: Fruit (any kind but especially grapes, berries, apricots, pears and fresh figs,) dried fruit, jam, honey.

Tips:

New to the cheese world, or know what flavors you like but aren’t sure which cheese fits the bill? ASK FOR HELP. The people at the cheese counter at your local grocery store love helping people pick out new cheeses…..ASK FOR HELP!!!!

Use sprigs of herbs for garnish, not only do they make your board look great they smell even better.

Cheese Knives; make sure to have one knife per cheese as to not mix flavors.

Cheese’s texture and flavor is best closer to room temperature than fridge-cold, so let it soften for 30 minutes to an hour before serving.