Diwali is all about light, laughter, and special moments spent with loved ones. But the pressure to hold the perfect gathering can quickly build up, irrespective of the fact that it's a small intimate gathering or a grand celebration, every little bit counts-from decoration to food.
If you want an effortless yet stunning snack idea that will impress your guests, a cheeseboard is the perfect fit. It's one of the modern ways of festive entertaining: balancing traditional sweet treats with savoury flavours. At least, that's the theory. While choosing which cheese board components to include or exclude can be daunting.
The good news? It's much easier than you might think to make it simple. Add the following tips, and you will be all set to make a cheeseboard not just tasty but easy as well. Let's get down to business on how it's actually done.
Select a Balanced Variety of Cheeses
The secret to a good cheeseboard is variety. You don't have to overwhelm yourself with too many options, but there must be mixtures of textures and flavours. Make it much easier to find your cheese if you will focus on four main categories:
Soft Cheese: Brie or Camembert. Soft cheese is creamy and mild. The smooth texture goes well with fruits and crackers.
Semi-Hard Cheese: Gouda or cheddar are perfect. For whatever reason, those seem to always fly, and they're both full of flavour and great for layering, for one thing.
Blue Cheese: If you want a little more oomph to your spread, throw in some blue cheese. Not everyone's going to love it, but some will appreciate it as a nice addition.
Hard Cheese: Parmesan or an aged gouda adds a sharp, salty bite in there, kind of like contrast to whatever else you're serving them with.
Remember that you don't have to bring out hundreds of cheeses. Four or five suffice to form a proper board.
Simple Yet Effective Accompaniments
To make your cheeseboard shine, you need accompaniments, but this time keep it simple. Quality over quantity, and don't make it complex with too much stuff. Here are a few ideas that enhance the cheese without overwhelming the plate:
Fruits: Fresh grapes or apples, or a few pieces of fig make up the perfect combination. The natural sweetness of the fruit balances the richness of cheese.
Nuts: A handful of almonds, walnuts, or pecans add a satisfying crunch to both soft and hard cheeses.
Crackers and Bread: There are several types of crackers or small breaks of artisan bread. Two is enough.
Honey or Jam: A drizzle of honey or a small pot of fig or apricot jam goes very well with cheese.
These accompaniments prep quickly, and most of them are available pre-cooked so you won't put in much time on prep work.
Keep it Simple
Cheese board organization is half the fun, and to make one look great is actually much easier than you might think. To keep it easy, follow a simple pattern:
Arrange your cheeses first, making space between them for their accompaniments along the board.
Once the cheeses are set, fill in the spaces with crackers, fruits, and nuts.
Add little final touches, such as a small bowl of honey or jam, and perhaps a few sprigs of rosemary to give the board a festive touch.
You can do away with the fancy board and use any large platter or wooden cutting board to serve. The whole idea is just to make it accessible to your guests so that they feel at ease getting into it.
Prepare Ahead
One easy trick to make your Diwali cheese board simple is to get everything ready ahead of time. Most cheeses are greatly improved by letting them come to room temperature; take them out of the fridge at least an hour before guests come over.
Prepare the accompaniments, fruit, and nuts, setting them out on the board well before time. Store bread or crackers in an airtight container until the last minute before the guests are ready to snack. All this reduces unnecessary stress and ensures everything is fresh when the party begins.
Add a Festive Touch
Cheeseboard may not be part of any Diwali delicacy, but you can make it festive even with a feel of Diwali. You can include these ideas in your cheese board:
Place the cheese board near your rangoli or near diyas to include it in the festival.
Use bright, decorative napkins or mini-serving dishes in rich colours like gold, red, or orange to stay within the theme of Diwali.
A few dried fruits like figs and dates will nod well to more traditional flavours.
This way, your cheeseboard feels right at home amidst the Diwali festivities, making it both unique and celebratory.