Athlete Food Cheese Plate

You Don’t Need Crackers.

Slice a pear or a crisp apple instead.

Sample.

Part of the fun is tasting the cheese before you buy it. Don't be intimidated by the hipsters who work behind the cheese counter. Ask for tastes of cheeses that have an interesting description or look different.

Local.

We like to include a few New York State cheeses along with our favorites from France and California. This goes for the drinks too — Brooklyn Cider House has some hard apple ciders that pair well with cheese plates.

Nuts, fruit and Cornichons.

Include salty things like olives or Cornichons. Add some sweet things like dried Turkish apricots and a little square of quince paste or other jam. I also like to serve crispy grapes on the side and always put out a handful of almonds or walnuts.

Meat.

For a bit of protein, seek out some good cured meats. You don’t need much - just get a 5-6 very thin slices to add to the spread. I know some people like it, but we trim off most of the fat (something we’ve been doing our whole lives!)

Make More Than One.

You don’t need a fancy platter - a regular dinner plate will do. We like to pre-cut the hard cheeses so that it’s easier for people to snack. Depending on the size of the crowd, make 2 or 3 dinner plate sized cheese plates and spread them out on the buffet table or in different areas of the house (for easy access to the cheese!!)