Behind That Cheese Plate: That "Summer In The City" Plate
That “Summer In The City” Plate
A Vibrant Plate for Your Summer (Socially Distanced) Gatherings
Summer is right around the corner!
The weather is finally looking up, which to be honest, completely controls my mood. I don’t know if it’s just me, but March and April in isolation was especially difficult with the cold and rainy weather we had in New England. Luckily, warmer weather is finally here and I’m trying to get outside as much as I can!
That “Summer In The City” Plate from page 76 in That Cheese Plate Will Change Your Life, was a quite the popular plate this weekend. I saw multiple beautiful recreations on Instagram and love seeing everyone’s personal style shining through! I created this plate as an homage to the frequent gatherings in my humble Brooklyn apartment on warm summer evenings. Windows open, music blasting and friends all around. It’ll be a while until this can be the norm again. For now, it’s nice to have these memories reflected on a vibrant, tasty cheese plate.
On this plate, I played with the pairings of sweet fruit contrasted with salty meats and cheese. One of my favorite summer snacks is thin sliced prosciutto wrapped around juicy cantaloupe. The flavors blend together seamlessly, transporting you to an Italian cafe in the sun. I also added in some fresh peaches, raspberries, grapes and dried apricots on this plate to tie in to the fruity theme, providing pops of color throughout the board. One of my favorite cheese pairings is cheddar, dried apricots and a slice of salami. The perfect blent between sharp, sweet and savory. To spice up your mozzarella balls, add some extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and chopped basil!
I fully dove into the world of edible flowers on this plate, garnishing with nasturtiums, marigolds and pansies. Check out my guide to edible flowers here.
THE PLATE: 11 x 17 Wooden Cutting Board
STEP 1: CHEESE
Mini Mozzarella Balls - I used BelGioioso from the grocery store, but if you have the chance to buy fresh mozzarella from an Italian market, do it!
Sharp Cheddar - I used Cabot Extra Sharp cheddar on this plate. Some of my other favorite cheddars are Cabot Clothbound from Jasper Hill Creamery + Montgomery’s Cheddar from Neal’s Yard Dairy.
STEP 2: MEAT
Genoa Salami - Sliced and folded into a Salami River.
Prosciutto Wrapped Melon - A very simple recipe can be found on page 97 in the book!
STEP 3: PRODUCE
Green Grapes, Dried Apricots, Raspberries and Peaches - As I mentioned above, I used fruit on this plate to channel the sweet produce available during the summer. I looped the melon into the “meat” category because it’s wrapped in prosciutto.
STEP 4: CRUNCH
Water Crackers and Walnuts - I grew up eating Carr’s water crackers and I still love them paired with a sharp cheddar. The walnuts add a nice nutty crunch to balance out the sweetness.
STEP 5: DIP
Strawberry Rhubarb Jam - This was actually a jam homemade by my friend’s mom. The slight tart of the rhubarb adds a unique flavor to the plate.
STEP 6: GARNISH
Finished the plate with fresh thyme, basil, nasturtiums, marigolds and micro pansies.
SOME PAIRING OPTIONS:
Fresh Mozzarella with Peaches + Salami
Fresh Mozzarella with Melon + Prosciutto
Sharp Cheddar with Dried Apricots + Salami
Sharp Cheddar with Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
Have a great week and keep tagging me in your creations!