If you are anything like me, you’ve often come across an occasion that has required you to create a cheese plate. But…where to begin? I’ve always tried to follow Ina Garten’s cheese tray advice about incorporating one soft cheese, one hard cheese and one blue onto the plate…but which soft? Or hard? Or blue? How do you decide which cheeses would go better with appetizers and cocktails and which cheeses would taste better as an after dinner treat? I needed some answers, stat.
With this in mind I decided to ask Ken Skovron, owner of Darien Cheese and Fine Foods and an extremely knowledgeable connoisseur of cheese for some assistance. Ken not only showed me three different types of cheese trays for three different occasions, but also filled me about the different cheeses and gave me an education about each one. Plus an added bonus was getting to try each cheese, which I oh-so-happily acquiesced to.
Tray 1 – Appetizers
Truffle Crème de Lyon
Country – France
Region – Burgundy
Milk Type – Pasteurized Cow
“The classic French double crème is enriched by the addition of fresh shaved truffles providing the cheese with cream, sweet, butter, and the great mushroom flavor and earthiness that is accompanied by truffles.”
Nababbo
Country – Italy
Region – Lombardy
Milk Type – Pasteurized Goat
“A washed rind goats milk that has earthiness and creaminess, but is beautifully clean and light, is a Taleggio that has the classic bite and tang, nevertheless is very different in flavor.”
Boerenkaas
Country – Holland
Region – Northern Holland
Milk Type – Raw Cow
“With a texture that is firm yet still creamy to the taste, as well as bites of crystallization, the notes of toasted nuts, sweet caramel, fresh milk, grass, and fresh herbs are all complimenting of each other without being overpowering or overwhelming.”
Tuscan Panforte
“Traditional pairing for cheese in Tuscany would include and a delicious holiday sweet called Panforte. A blend of dried fruit including, orange, citrus, and melon, is paired with pure fresh honey and assorted spices for the perfect fruity treat that is nice and mellow.”
Tray 2 – Brunch
Brebisrousse d’Argental
Country – France
Region – Lyon
Milk Type – Pasteurized Sheep
“A beautiful French Sheep’s milk brie that provides the cream and butter of a brie well being complimented by the great depth of flavor and earthiness of the fresh sheep’s milk.”
St. Maure Blanc
Country – France
Region – Loire
Milk Type – Raw Goat
“A raw goat’s milk cheese that offers both the creaminess and tang that comes with the fresh milk. With notes of fresh flowers and herbs, as well as the lactic tang, St. Maure leaves a beautiful delicate flavor on your palette, which is both balanced and original.”
Comte 2 yr.
Country – France
Region – Jura
Milk Type – Raw Cow
“A classic French cheese that has a great balance of nuttiness and sweet, the flavor profile of hazelnuts, butter, cooked plums, and notes of cocoa is well complemented by a creamy, semi-firm texture.”
Muffato
Country – Italy
Region – Veneto
Milk Type – Pasteurized Cow
“A unique blue that has great flavors and some delicate bites of spice which is marinated in a locally made white dessert wine and then coated with fresh chamomile, mint, and lemon verbena.”
Tray 3 – Dessert
Valancay
Country – France
Region – Loire
Milk Type – Pasteurized Goat
“Ash ripened with sea salt, this French goat cheese has both the great lactic tang and creaminess that is pleasant in a fresh chevre. Well balanced with notes of fresh cream and bites of sweet it has complexity of flavor and texture.”
Ouleout
Country – United States
Region – Walton, NY
Milk Type – Raw Cow
“Styled after the washed rind cheeses of Belgium and Bavaria, Ouleout is a handcrafted cheese that is ooey gooey and packs a punch. Full bodied and full flavored that cheese is strong and full of earth and cream.”
Ossau Iraty Fermier
Country – France
Region – Basque
Milk Type – Raw Sheep
“A full bodied semi-firm cheese that has the saltiness and nuttiness of an Italian Pecorino, while offering the lactic tang and sweetness of a Spanish Manchego, this raw milk, farm made cheese is well balanced and full of flavor.”
Sbrinz 5 yr.
Country – Switzerland
Region – Bernese Oberland
Milk Type – Raw Cow
“Often referred to as the cousin of Parm, Sbrinz dates back centuries before the Italian cheese was being made. A firm flavorful cheese that has earth, herb, flowers, and the taste of raw fresh milk, this 5 year aged cheese offers amazing depth and uniqueness.”
Fourme au Sauternes
Country – France
Region – Auvergne
Milk Type – Raw Cow
“The classic Fourme d’Ambert bleu gets a twist when marinated it in French Sauternes Wine. Sauternes wine provides the cheese with sweet notes of ripe fruits, honey, and vanilla that pairs well with the salty element of the bleu.”
My newest challenge will be in figuring out which cheese I like the best. I suppose that would require eating all of the cheeses all over again. I know what you’re thinking and yes, it’s tough work, but someone has to do it.
About Darien Cheese & Fine Foods
Located in the Goodwives Shopping Center at 25 Old Kings Highway North in Darien, Connecticut, Darien Cheese and Fine Foods is well-known for its wide selection of delicious cheeses from around the world and their offerings of hard-to-find specialty foods like pasta, fine jams and sauces. With friendly and helpful staff ready to offer helpful advice on the various options, the Cheese Shop is the best un-known secret throughout the tri-state area. Widely quoted as an expert on the cheese industry, Ken Skovron owns and manages the store together with his wife, Tory. To learn more, please visit the store on Facebook.
The Darien Cheese Shop was founded in 1967 by Jack Hearn and was part of a larger franchise that originated at the World Fair. At one time, the Cheese Shop had 75 different locations including Greenwich, New Canaan, Ridgefield and Westport. Since purchasing the store in 1986, the Skovrons have cultivated an extremely loyal and dedicated following in the Fairfield County area as a result of their valuable knowledge, helpful staff and wide selection of delicious cheeses and amazing fine foods from around the world. To many customers, they are known as the pioneers in the fine food boutique store world – having been the first in the area to offer a distinctive and exclusive selection of imported fresh cheeses, locally sourced foods and beautiful artisanal pieces.