The Perfect Cheese Plate for Any Occasion

cottages-gardens.com

Love cheese, but never quite sure what to pair it with or how to serve it? HC&G asks Lucy Kazickas, of Lucy's whey cheese shop in east Hampton, to come up with five cheese pLates that are perfect for entertaining-no matter what the occasion


CLASSIC

WHAT'S ON IT (ABOVE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP)
• Green Hill, a Brie-style, soft-ripened cow's milk cheese from Sweet Grass Dairy in Georgia

• Cabot Clothbound Cheddar, an earthy, grassy, sharp, traditional English-style bandaged cow's milk cheddar from Cellars at Jasper Hill, Vermont

• Dante, a nutty, sweet and dry Manchego-style sheep's milk cheese from the Wisconsin Sheep Dairy Cooperative

Served with Anjou Bakery's Fruit and Nut Crostini and Girl & the Fig's Nana Mae Gravenstein Apple, Raisin & Fig Mostarda.

WHY IT WORKS
"These three artisanal cheeses are American versions of European classics. This is a wonderful progression, starting with a quite mild, semi-soft Brie- style cheese, then a classic, just slightly creamy cheddar, and finally a dry, nutty sheep's milk cheese that's similar to Manchego or Pecorino."

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PICNIC
WHAT'S ON IT (OPPOSITE, TOP TO BOTTOM)
• Pawlet, a semi-soft, Toma- style raw cow's milk cheese from Vermont's Consider Bardwell Farm

• Bijou, a button-size, creamy, soft goat's milk cheese from Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery

• Bayley Hazen Blue, a buttery, earthy, Stilton-style blue cheese from Jasper Hill Farm in Vermont

Served with Freddy Guy's Hazelnuts, Castleton Crackers' Rutland Rye and baguette slices.

WHY IT WORKS
"For a picnic, you don't want messy cheeses that are going to run all over. These three cheeses, all from Vermont, are easy to transport and interesting. The Pawlet is almost like a sandwich cheese, great with bread and butter; the goat is more delicate but still strong enough to handle a trip to the be Salad

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SALAD

WHAT'S ON IT (OPPOSITE, TOP TO BOTTOM)

• Hayride, a semi-soft, rich, earthy raw cow's milk cheese from Mt. Mansfield Creamery in Vermont

• Herbed Chèvre, a tangy goat's milk cheese from Catapano Dairy on Long Island's North Fork

• Point Reyes Original Blue, a crisp, creamy cow's milk blue cheese from northern California

Served with Anke's Fit Bakery Rosemary Black Olive Flatbreads and dried strawberries.

WHY IT WORKS
"One of my favorite ways to eat cheese is with salad. If you have a salad with a strong dressing and strong greens, the Hayride makes a wonderful complement. And you can't ever go wrong with salad and a fresh, tangy chèvre. Finally, it's always nice to have a blue cheese; this one has a certain tartness and crispness to it, and really almost becomes part of the dressing."

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DESSERT

WHAT'S ON IT (TOP TO BOTTOM)
• Tarentaise, a hard, Alpine-style nutty raw cow's milk cheese from Spring Brook Farm, Vermont

• Piper's Pyramide, a paprika-dusted, creamy goat's milk cheese from Capriole, Indiana

• Ewe's Blue, a sharp sheep's milk blue cheese from New York's Old Chatham Sheepherding Company

• Evalon, a hard, sweet aged goat's milk cheese from Saxon Homestead Creamery and LeClair Farms in Wisconsin

Served with local honey from the Bees' Needs, NutC's caramelized spiced nuts and dried strawberries.

WHY IT WORKS
"It's nice for people to decide how they want to finish their meal, and there's something for everyone here: soft, hard, salty, sweet. The Piper's Pyramide gets a little runniness around the edges and is creamier than a chèvre, but still has a tartness that cleanses the palate. The Tarentaise has a nutty taste, with a slightly stronger bite as it stays in your mouth. The Evalon, one of my favorites, starts off in your mouth quite dry but gets much creamier and sweeter. And the Ewe's Blue is sharp but has a lovely sweetness to it and is great with a little honey."

reported by Anne Calder, photographs by Eric Striffler

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