Cheese Plate Garnishes

Are you creating a cheese plate and wanna stray away from the traditional accoutrements? The common garnishes usually found on a cheese plate are typically nuts, bread, crostini or crackers, dried fruit, and fresh fruit such as figs, grapes, apples and pears.

Those are all classic garnishes for complimenting a cheese plate and aren’t likely to cause any complaints. But if you want to cause a stir and impress your diners, here are some alternatives worth trying that are a little different and pair nicely on a plate with a variety of cheeses:

• Quince Paste– Sweet and gelatinous. This goes best with blue cheeses.
• Port Aspic- The classic pairing of port and blue cheese applies here. The sweet-tart flavor also goes well with hard Italian cheeses.
• Honeycomb– Sweet and crunchy. Serve with goat and soft Italian cheeses like ricotta.
• Citrus Powder– Tart and tangy and goes with mild goat cheeses and soft cheeses.
• Fennel Flower- Herbaceous and pungent, great with hard cheeses, especially sheep milk cheeses.
• Lemon Blossom- Citrus and floral flavor. Use with creamy soft cheeses.
• Edible Flowers- Adds a lot of color to the plate and has a mild floral flavor. Best with goat cheese and soft cheeses like Burrata.