Cheese Plates

You can serve one carefully chosen cheese and let its extraordinary qualities shine. But, in general, an assortment of three cheeses offers variety without overwhelming guests. When making your selections, diversity can be created in different ways: cheese age or type (one bloomy rind, one semifirm, one blue); milk type (one cow’s milk, one goat’s milk, one sheep’s milk); country of origin (one French, one Spanish, one English); or even locale (three from California). Ultimately, you’ll want a range of flavors and textures, from creamy and buttery to crumbly and salty, and a mix of shapes and colors. Choose accompaniments to match the cheese, season, and occasion, keeping flavor and texture in mind.