Say “I love you!” with a cheese board

Valentine’s day was made for Cheesiness, so why not embrace it and go all the way?

The perfect cheeseboard is a vision of beauty and pure deliciousness. You can get away with decadence — because it’s meant for nibbling as you sip and canoodle with your schnookums. It’s all about the balance, Romeos.

Hipcooks, in collaboration with the Cheese Bar in Portland, show you How to create the Wow:

Pick cheeses that complement each other in texture and flavor. Let your cheesemonger (we had the fantastic owner Steve of the Cheese Bar) guide you with expert knowledge. The cheeses here range from ooey-gooey to complex, to sharp and tangy:

Start with the Briar Rose Phoebe, a spruce-bark wrapped wash-rind cows milk cheese from right here in Oregon (from Dundee)…sublime gets redefined with this superlative cheese.

Springbrook Farm’s Ashbrook, a raw cow’s milk cheese, has a layer of vegetable ash in the middle. This Vermont farm brings big city schoolkids to the farm to learn about farming.

Neal’s Yard Spaekennoe Red Leicester. London-based Neils’s Yard sources the best-of-the-best from the UK. This cheese is mature (aged over 1 year)  & made with raw cow’s milk.

Parmigiano Reggiano D.O.P. “The King of Cheeses! This should be on every cheese board,” says Steve.

Neal’s Yard Colston Bassette Stilton. “The best stilton in the world in my mind,” says our favorite cheesemonger.

Notice for some of the cheeses we give an “entry” point. Give a little guidance, like fracturing the red Leicester, crumbling some of the parmesan, slicing a little of the Springbrook Farm Ashbrook.

Play with color and texture. Romance is all about awakening the senses, so take full advantage of the opportunity, Casanovas! Here, we add crunchy nuts, douse the stilton in a sweet port-wine reduction, add pears & berries for a little pop and change of scenery. We inlcude homemade pâté and roasted garlic so your board can have that little extra touch that says how much you care.

Say “I love you!” with a cheese board

Lissa    Valentine’s day was made for Cheesiness, so why not embrace it and go all the way? The perfect cheeseboard is a vision of beauty and pure deliciousness. You can get away with decadence — because it’s meant for… How-To's cheese platter, impress your guests, simple fancy appetizer European Print Recipe

 : 4

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

Cheeses
Briar Rose Phoebe
Springbrook Farm's Ashbrook
Neal's Yard Spaekennoe Red Leicester
Parmigiano Reggiano D.O.P.
Neal's Yard Colston Bassette Stilton

Add ons:
Chicken liver pâté
Sublime roasted garlic
Port wine reduction for the Stilton
Spicy Candied Nuts
Sliced pears
Blackberries
Rosemary