Hello my friends! I hope today is going especially cheesy for you! This past weekend, after all of the Lamplighters’ HMS Pinafore shows in Mountain View, CA, we held a cast party, and I found myself in need of some cheese. I didn’t have the time or resources to go find the fanciest cheese around for up to 50 people. Instead, I opted for Trader Joe’s. Therefore, this week, I am bringing you an example of a cheese board composed exclusively of ingredients found at Trader Joe’s to inspire you for your next party or gathering, especially if you are on the run like I was!
When putting together a cheese plate for a party, I like to have between 3-5 cheeses. It’s enough to offer some texture and flavor variety without overwhelming people. Estimating about 2 oz. of cheese per person is a good bet, since there will likely be other food, too!
Burrata
A crowd pleaser if there ever was one. If you’ve got some olive oil, good salt (like fleur de sel or Himalayan pink salt), and fresh cracked pepper, sprinkle some on, and it will disappear within minutes. Keep a spoon handy to move it to your plates.
Délice de Bourgogne
A buttery triple crème cow’s milk cheese from France. It’s creamy, delicious, and coats the tongue in silky smoothness. When I was working in my Southern California cheese shop, it was one of the more popular cheeses in the case, and for good reason.
Syrah-soaked Toscano
This is a Trader Joe’s exclusive strongly reminiscent of Sartori’s delicious flavorful varieties. It’s always a popular choice amongst my guests with its nutty, kind of cheddar-like flavor, slight bite, and syrah aromas.
1,000 Day Gouda
In a party setting, I’ve found it’s better to cut hard cheeses into bite-sized pieces for minimal fuss (at other parties, I’ve had to rescue hard cheeses that had fallen on the floor because those ornamental “cheese knives” were useless.) This aged gouda has that butterscotch flavor that so many people love, as well as those much-loved crunchy cheese crystals.
Accompaniments
In terms of accompaniments, if I’m short on time, I keep things simple. Dried mission figs are a standby of mine, as are salted and roasted Marcona almonds. Feel free to add honey and/or jam as well, but if you’re on the run with no serving dishes available, things might get messy! On the vehicle front, I opted for Pita Bite Crackers. They’re pretty solid, and so tasty! If I were left to my own devices, I’d just eat crackers all afternoon.
There you have it! A Miss Cheesemonger-approved cheese plate made entirely of Trader Joe’s finds.
Don’t forget to visit my new shop to get your Miss Cheesemonger gear, like a new apron in time for Labor Day grilling!
