Winter Solstice Cheese Board (Printer-friendly)

Seasonal board balancing dark savory and bright fresh elements for easy, elegant serving.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dark Side

01 - 3.5 oz Kalamata olives, pitted
02 - 3.5 oz oil-cured black olives
03 - 4.2 oz dried mission figs, halved
04 - 2 tablespoons fig jam
05 - 1.4 oz dark chocolate, broken into pieces
06 - 2.1 oz roasted almonds
07 - 1 sprig fresh rosemary (for garnish)

→ Light Side

08 - 7 oz ripe Brie cheese, wheel or wedge
09 - 2 ripe pears, thinly sliced
10 - 2 tablespoons honeycomb or honey
11 - 1.4 oz toasted walnuts
12 - 2.1 oz seedless green grapes
13 - 1 small bunch fresh thyme (for garnish)

→ Accompaniments

14 - 1 small baguette, sliced
15 - 3.5 oz assorted crackers

# Directions:

01 - Using a line of rosemary or a row of crackers, divide a large serving board exactly in half.
02 - Place Kalamata olives, oil-cured black olives, dried figs, fig jam, dark chocolate pieces, and roasted almonds on one half. Garnish with rosemary.
03 - On the other half, arrange Brie cheese, sliced pears, honeycomb or honey, toasted walnuts, and green grapes. Garnish with thyme.
04 - Position baguette slices and crackers along the center line or serve on separate plates.
05 - Present immediately at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks stunning without requiring you to be a food stylist or spend hours fussing.
  • You can prep it in fifteen minutes, which means more time actually enjoying people instead of hiding in the kitchen.
  • Everyone finds something they love, whether they're a fig-and-dark-chocolate person or a honeycomb-and-pear person.
02 -
  • Slice your pears literally at the last moment before people arrive—within five minutes if you can manage it—or toss them in lemon juice to keep them from browning.
  • The quality of your cheese matters more than anything else on this board; don't cheap out on the Brie because soft cheese is where people taste the difference.
03 -
  • Toast your own nuts if you have time; the smell that fills your kitchen is worth it, and they taste noticeably better warm.
  • Buy your pears firm and let them ripen at room temperature for a day—they should yield slightly to pressure but not be mushy.
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