An Effortless French Cheese Board
Let's pretend we're sipping wine in Paris or strolling through the traboules of Lyon with this gorgeous and effortless French cheese board. Featuring a variety of French cheeses, cornichons, nuts, and seasonal fruit, it's lovely for apéro with friends!
Ingredients
- 3-5 French cheeses (~8 ounces/227 grams each)
- 4 ounces cornichons (112 grams)
- 1/4 cup fig jam or another sweet jam/honey/etc. (80 grams)
- 1/4 cup whole grain or Dijon mustard (60 grams)
- 1/2 pound grapes (227 grams)
- 1 apple, cored & sliced
- 1/2 cup dried apricots (80 grams)
- 1/2 cup walnut halves (60 grams)
- 1/2 cup roasted almonds (60 grams)
- 1/2 cup French olives (90 grams)
- Rosemary or thyme sprigs, for garnish
- 2-3 packages of crackers or bread (4 ounces/120 grams each)
Equipment
- 1 wood cheese board
- Cheese knives, for serving
- Charcuterie bowls
Instructions
- Start by slicing any hard, semi-hard, or semi-soft cheeses into cubes, wedges, or slices. Arrange the sliced and whole cheeses in different areas of the board for easy serving.
- Next, add bowls of ingredients like cornichons, jams, mustard, etc. next to the cheeses. Then, add grapes, sliced apples, or other seasonal fruit you like. Place piles of smaller items like dried apricots, walnuts, and almonds in-between the cheeses, bowls, & fruit.
- Fill in any gaps of the board with olives or other smaller items. Stick sprigs of rosemary or thyme in small gaps for garnish.
- If you're using cured meats, slice the meats and place them on a separate board or plate. Arrange crackers or bread on a separate board or plate as well. Serve the cheese board with French wine and enjoy!
Notes
You'll need 3-5 cheeses for this board. Pick a hard or semi-hard cheese, something soft or semi-soft, and a goat and/or blue cheese. For another option, pick something a bit more unique and unexpected.
For the effortless French vibe, keep the board simple. You don't need a hundred ingredients for a stunning cheese platter.
To make this a French charcuterie board, add 1-2 cured meats. Try saucisson, jambon, boudin, or pâté.
For an interesting looking board, use a mix of different shapes and colors. Look for ingredients with bold colors, unique textures, and fun shapes.
Bring the cheese to room temperature for about 30-60 minutes before serving. This will bring out all of the best flavors and textures in the cheese!
Don't slice the cheeses more than 2 hours in advance. Otherwise, they could dry out. For soft or semi-soft cheeses, make sure you have a different cheese knife for each so the flavors don't mingle too much.
This board will serve 8-12 people depending on how much food you're serving. Feel free to scale it up or down!
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 341kcal, Carbohydrates: 17.9g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 24.1g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 56mg, Sodium: 1000mg, Potassium: 190mg, Fiber: 4.2g, Sugar: 7.4g, Calcium: 285mg, Iron: 1mg
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