Fun & Festive Cheese Trays by Anna Russell It’s terrific to see a resurgence of interest in artisanal cheese and one of the best ways to explore the exciting array of cheeses available is by trying a few on a cheese platter. It’s a great way to really taste each cheese and compare a few different kinds. From there you can move on to cooking with cheese. There are numerous classic cheese tray pairings but often they include cheeses that may not be available in our area. We have compiled some cheese pairings along with suggested accompaniments and beverages, all of which are typically available in the the Peterborough area. Don’t be afraid to ask for suggestions at the cheese counter or make substitutions on the fly. It’s all good! Pick a theme, invite a few friends and have fun! Celebration Light Starter or Toasting Companion Triple Cream Brie, Red Leicester or mild Canadian Cheddar, Swiss Sliced apples & pears and red grapes, Stonewall Kitchen Sea Salt crackers French or New Zealand Sauvignon blanc, Spanish style rosé, Italian soave Sparkling Italian prosecco or Champagne Blanc de noir Keepin’ it Light Wine & Cheese Course Le Douanier or Blarney Castle, Double Cream Camembert, Applewood Smoked Cheddar Apple & pear slices, toasted almonds, French baguette Chardonnay (with hints of vanilla, candied orange and pineapple) or Spanish style rosé (dry with hints of almond) Friendship - Sweet & Savoury Double Cream Camembert or Brie, Bleu Bénédictin, Coastal Rugged British Cheddar Sliced fresh figs, almonds, Fig & Olive Raincoast Crisps or French baguette Dark & fruity red without abundant tannins such as Chilean Merlot, Grenache or Syrah The Fellas’ Favourite Beer & Cheese Platter Le Douanier or Blarney Castle, Red Leicester or mild Cheddar, Smoked Gouda or Dubliner Apple slices, toasted walnuts or smoked almonds, rustic loaf or ciabatta, mild grainy mustard Blonde ale, golden lager or stout After-a-hard-days-work Hard Cider & Cheese Le Douanier or Blarney Castle, Double Cream Camembert, Applewood Smoked Cheddar Grapes and apple slices, rustic bread or Raincoast Crisps Hard apple cider As You Please, Fruit & Cheese, Beer & Wine Double Cream Camembert, White Stilton with dried apricots almonds, green grapes, Fig & Olive Raincoast Crisps, baguette Lager with floral hops such as Publican Square Nail Pale Ale Dry wine with fruit notes: Gewürztraminer or Riesling Your Local Pub Platter Huntsman Double Glouchester with Stilton, Red Leichester, Dubliner or Rugged Coastal Cheddar Sliced smoked sausage or ham, apple slices, celery sticks, sweet pickles or gerkins, pickled onions and beets, grainy mustard, chutney, rustic peasant loaf English pale ale, IPA or lager, stout, hard cider A Touch of Honey Coastal Rugged British Cheddar, Swiss, Dubliner or Beemster XO Strawberries, English oat biscuits or ancient grains loaf, local honey for drizzling Ontario late harvest Riesling or Vidal Ye Olde Ploughman’s Plate (serve as a group platter or individual plates) Huntsman Double Glouchester with Stilton (wedge) Sliced apple, celery sticks, sweet pickles or gerkins, pickled onions, rustic peasant bread Pale ale, stout or hard cider Smokey Sips Applewood Smoked Cheddar Hard smoked salmon such as Seachange Smoked Salmon or Franz the Butcher’s house smoked salmon, smoked almonds, very thinly sliced smoked summer sausage, baguette slices Cabernet Franc or West coast Pinot Noir (most Ontario Pinot Noir lacks finesse despite what the winemaker tells you) Red & White, Plain & Simple (for a larger group) Dubliner, Bleu Bénédictin, Blarney Castle, Coastal Rugged British Cheddar, Beemster XO French baguette slices, Stonewall Kitchen Sea Salt crackers, strawberries Full bodied red such as Australian Syrah, California Merlot, Amarone della Valpolicella Full bodied white such as Chardonnay from Australia, California or South Africa Sweet-Tart Dessert Course Bleu Bénédictin, Wensleydale with dried cranberries Cranberry Raincoast Crisps, red & purple grapes Italian sparkling Prosecco, Port, or Sautern Simple Elegance (for a larger group) Irish 2 year Reserve Cheddar, Glenphilly Cheddar with single malt whisky, red Leicester, Le Douanier, Blarney Castle French baguette slices, Stonewall Kitchen Sea Salt crackers, Breton whole wheat crackers Well balanced Italian red: Calpolicella, Bardolino, Chianti Sparkling wine: Italian Prosecco, Spanish Cava, Champagne Blanc de noir Rich Endings Coastal Rugged British Cheddar or Beemster XO, Dubliner, Triple Cream Brie French baguette Light & fruity Gamay or Spanish style rosé (dry with hints of almonds) Icewine Finiale Bleu Bénédictin, Beemster XO or Dubliner, Triple Cream Brie Dried apricots, purple grapes, sliced apple & pear, Raincoast Crisps Ontario Icewine or Italian sparking Prosecco For more information on pairing Canadian cheeses & wines, go online and visit All You Need Is Cheese. RETURN TO THE RECIPES PRINTABLE

Cheese Trays

Fun & Festive Cheese Trays

by Anna Russell

It’s terrific to see a resurgence of interest in artisanal cheese and one of the best ways to explore the exciting array of cheeses available is by trying a few on a cheese platter. It’s a great way to really taste each cheese and compare a few different kinds. From there you can move on to cooking with cheese.

There are numerous classic cheese tray pairings but often they include cheeses that may not be available in our area. We have compiled some cheese pairings along with suggested accompaniments and beverages, all of which are typically available in the the Peterborough area. Don’t be afraid to ask for suggestions at the cheese counter or make substitutions on the fly. It’s all good!

Pick a theme, invite a few friends and have fun!

Celebration Light Starter or Toasting Companion

Triple Cream Brie, Red Leicester or mild Canadian Cheddar, Swiss

Sliced apples & pears and red grapes, Stonewall Kitchen Sea Salt crackers

French or New Zealand Sauvignon blanc, Spanish style rosé, Italian soave

Sparkling Italian prosecco or Champagne Blanc de noir

Keepin’ it Light Wine & Cheese Course

Le Douanier or Blarney Castle, Double Cream Camembert, Applewood Smoked Cheddar

Apple & pear slices, toasted almonds, French baguette

Chardonnay (with hints of vanilla, candied orange and pineapple)

or Spanish style rosé (dry with hints of almond)

Friendship - Sweet & Savoury

Double Cream Camembert or Brie, Bleu Bénédictin, Coastal Rugged British Cheddar

Sliced fresh figs, almonds, Fig & Olive Raincoast Crisps or French baguette

Dark & fruity red without abundant tannins such as Chilean Merlot, Grenache or Syrah

The Fellas’ Favourite Beer & Cheese Platter

Le Douanier or Blarney Castle, Red Leicester or mild Cheddar, Smoked Gouda or Dubliner

Apple slices, toasted walnuts or smoked almonds, rustic loaf or ciabatta, mild grainy mustard

Blonde ale, golden lager or stout

After-a-hard-days-work Hard Cider & Cheese

Le Douanier or Blarney Castle, Double Cream Camembert, Applewood Smoked Cheddar

Grapes and apple slices, rustic bread or Raincoast Crisps

Hard apple cider

As You Please, Fruit & Cheese, Beer & Wine

Double Cream Camembert, White Stilton with dried apricots

almonds, green grapes, Fig & Olive Raincoast Crisps, baguette

Lager with floral hops such as Publican Square Nail Pale Ale

Dry wine with fruit notes: Gewürztraminer or Riesling

Your Local Pub Platter

Huntsman Double Glouchester with Stilton, Red Leichester, Dubliner or Rugged Coastal Cheddar

Sliced smoked sausage or ham, apple slices, celery sticks, sweet pickles or gerkins, pickled onions and beets, grainy mustard, chutney, rustic peasant loaf

English pale ale, IPA or lager, stout, hard cider

A Touch of Honey

Coastal Rugged British Cheddar, Swiss, Dubliner or Beemster XO

Strawberries, English oat biscuits or ancient grains loaf, local honey for drizzling

Ontario late harvest Riesling or Vidal

Ye Olde Ploughman’s Plate (serve as a group platter or individual plates)

Huntsman Double Glouchester with Stilton (wedge)

Sliced apple, celery sticks, sweet pickles or gerkins, pickled onions, rustic peasant bread

Pale ale, stout or hard cider

Smokey Sips

Applewood Smoked Cheddar

Hard smoked salmon such as Seachange Smoked Salmon or Franz the Butcher’s house smoked salmon, smoked almonds, very thinly sliced smoked summer sausage, baguette slices

Cabernet Franc or West coast Pinot Noir (most Ontario Pinot Noir lacks finesse despite what the winemaker tells you)

Red & White, Plain & Simple

(for a larger group)

Dubliner, Bleu Bénédictin, Blarney Castle, Coastal Rugged British Cheddar, Beemster XO

French baguette slices, Stonewall Kitchen Sea Salt crackers, strawberries

Full bodied red such as Australian Syrah, California Merlot, Amarone della Valpolicella

Full bodied white such as Chardonnay from Australia, California or South Africa

Sweet-Tart Dessert Course

Bleu Bénédictin, Wensleydale with dried cranberries

Cranberry Raincoast Crisps, red & purple grapes

Italian sparkling Prosecco, Port, or Sautern

Simple Elegance (for a larger group)

Irish 2 year Reserve Cheddar, Glenphilly Cheddar with single malt whisky, red Leicester, Le Douanier, Blarney Castle

French baguette slices, Stonewall Kitchen Sea Salt crackers, Breton whole wheat crackers

Well balanced Italian red: Calpolicella, Bardolino, Chianti

Sparkling wine: Italian Prosecco, Spanish Cava, Champagne Blanc de noir

Rich Endings

Coastal Rugged British Cheddar or Beemster XO, Dubliner, Triple Cream Brie

French baguette

Light & fruity Gamay or Spanish style rosé (dry with hints of almonds)

Icewine Finiale

Bleu Bénédictin, Beemster XO or Dubliner, Triple Cream Brie

Dried apricots, purple grapes, sliced apple & pear, Raincoast Crisps

Ontario Icewine or Italian sparking Prosecco

For more information on pairing Canadian cheeses & wines, go online and visit All You Need Is Cheese.

RETURN TO THE RECIPES

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