Simple Summer Cheese Board

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Updated July 2022: In my opinion, there’s nothing better than an evening outside enjoying a beautiful cheese board! For this warm-weather board, delectable cheeses are complemented by seasonal produce. But the real beauty of it is how versatile it is! Swap in your favorite summer produce and pick cheeses that speak to your tastes, and voila! You have yourself the perfect appetizer for any summertime soirée.

For other summer board ideas, try my Roasted Tomatoes and Whipped Burrata Dip, Caprese Melon Skewers, Watermelon, Feta & Mint Salad, Fresh Fruit Board, Antipasto Skewer Board, Burrata & Roasted Strawberry Crostini, and Crudite Platter.

Cheese Board 101

Time for a little refresher on some essentials:

• Use a mix of hard cheeses (Alpha Tolman) and soft cheeses (Little Hosmer)

• Stick to the seasonal produce and try to incorporate a variety of colors. In this case, green grapes, red raspberries, blackberries, and more. Since produce is seasonal, you can choose the most affordable items within that season.

• Here I don’t use any meats because the warm weather tends to make it go bad fairly quickly. Plus, if you’re using this as an appetizer you’ll want to save room for the main protein. But if you’re looking to add meat, make a version of this for your Summer Charcuterie Board or serve this Antipasto Board.

Make This Summer Cheese Board

Cheese

• Jasper Hill Farm’s Alpha Tolman, sliced

• Jasper Hill Farm’s Little Hosmer

Produce

• Green Grapes

• Blackberries

• Raspberries

• Pears, halved or sliced

• Thomcord Grapes

• Figs, halved

Carbs

• Fig & Olive Crackers

Accoutrement & Garnish

• Castelvetrano Olives

• Rosemary sprigs

Note: Not an olive lover? Try buttery Castelvetrano olives! I call them the gateway olive because they are known to make people who think they hate olives like olives. (It’s not just me, see?)

Put It All Together

• Add the olives to a small bowl and place on the board to anchor it. Add the Little Hosmer to the opposite side of the board.

• Fan out the Alpha Tolman along the edge of the board. Fan the crackers around the bowl of olives.

• Add the raspberries, blackberries, green grapes, and thomcord grapes in separate sections. Fill in any holes with figs and pears.

• Garnish with rosemary.

Keep It In Season

As you know by now, I live in California so I have access to a lot of warmer-weather fruits year round. If you live in a place with more shorter “summer” season, here are some fruit options to try:

• Apples

• Apricots

• Blueberries

• Cherries

• Mangos

• Peaches

• Plums

• Strawberries

Show Me Your Boards

I hope this post inspires you to make a summer cheese board. Nothing makes me happier than seeing the beautiful spreads you create from my tips. If you make something inspired by this post, please tag me at @ainttooproudtomeg so I can see and share! 

And, If you liked this recipe, please rate and review.

Photos by Rosana Michaela.