Cheese Trays and the Rule of Threes

Earlier this week, the Highland Park Library hosted Whole Foods for a holiday cooking demonstration paralleling new cookbooks in their collection.

I am a big believer in the rule of threes for arranging plants and flowers to collecting estimates for a project. I was quite pleased to find the Whole Foods people applying the rule of threes to assembling cheese trays. You want to select: a hard cheese, a soft cheese and a specialty cheese. These cheeses shall derive from the three milks: cow, sheep and goat.



While there are five cheeses on this board, it is still applying the rule of threes as long as you have an odd number. There is a sheep milk gouda, a triple cream Brie, a Maytag Blue, a Swiss and a French Brie available only through Thanksgiving through New Year.

The Brie had the top skin neatly sliced off and Adriatic fig jam spread on it. If you wanted a more elaborate presentation, they suggested slicing the Brie top off as well as made a slice clear through the middle. Apply the Adriatic fig jam to the middle, then add the top layer and spread more jam on the Brie. This can be served room temperature or gently warmed in an oven for 10 minutes.

Cheese trays should to be taken out 30 minutes in advance. This allows time to add grapes, strawberries and a mound of candied walnuts.

Following the rule of threes, they had sliced French bread, Carr's water crackers plus salt and cracked pepper variants of a 3rd cracker.

The Whole Food's people commented their customer's pay dearly for cheese trays, which they could do themselves by conversing with the cheese manager and picking up a few additional items. Just remember the rule of threes.

Regards,

I usually try to find, for one of my three (or five), a visually striking cheese. A couple years ago, the sage derby was all the rage (it was even in Costco), with green veins surrounding the original curds. A similar brown-veined one showed up last year (But I can't remember what it was flavored with).

A stilton with a big blue vein through the middle can work, as can an ash layer.

I'm surprised there were two bries on your list. I'd have preferred, say, an aged gouda, cheddar or cheshire for color.

Cathy2 wrote:Cheese trays should to be taken out 30 minutes in advance. This allows time to add grapes, strawberries and a mound of candied walnuts.

Following the rule of threes, they had sliced French bread, Carr's water crackers plus salt and cracked pepper variants of a 3rd cracker.

Also, you need to give cheese at least 30 minutes to get to room temp -- I splurge and give mine more like 45.

Isn't it actually the Rule of Odd (I mean, if 5 works as well as 3 -- wouldn't 7 be even better)?

I prefer Carr's simple water crackers above all else -- satisfying crunch and very little getting between tongue and cheese.

JoelF wrote:I'm surprised there were two bries on your list. I'd have preferred, say, an aged gouda, cheddar or cheshire for color.

Quite right (that is to say: I agree). This platter cries out for a harder, more tangy cheese. It looks quite good (that is to say: I would eat it all), but it seems imbalanced: too creamy without enough tart.

Hi,

It was a demonstration, I didn't pick the cheeses though I was glad to line up and taste them. I thought the rule of threes was a clever way to remember a method of selecting cheeses: hard, soft, specialty from cow, sheep and goat.

Rule of threes or the golden triangle, it is easier to arrange odd number items as well as more visually pleasing. As an aside, in Russia even number of flowers is for a funeral whereas odd numbers are for a celebration. I have seen people count the flowers to determine whether they should be pleased or feel cursed.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:As an aside, in Russia even number of flowers is for a funeral whereas odd numbers are for a celebration

Funny. Balance is boring and dead; imbalance is fun and alive.

On the crackers front, I really don't care much for water crackers - bland, crack too easily, suck the moisture out of my mouth.

My favorite for many cheeses is the wholemeal style: sort of a less-sweet graham cracker, excellent for creamy cheeses.

If I have to have a cracker, I like Triscuits. But I don't mind just eating cheese straight, without any grain substance diluting it. (And boy, do I love cheese.)

Anyone tried Explorateur? Outrageous, delicious, triple-cream.

Cathy2 wrote:You want to select: a hard cheese, a soft cheese and a specialty cheese. These cheeses shall derive from the three milks: cow, sheep and goat.

I'm not sure why you use 'specialty cheese' as a category - maybe you meant seasonal or are relaying WF info? Seems to me that throws the balance off by including the holiday brie. Also as another category is soft the plate already has the triple cream brie.
Maybe hard, soft and semi-soft? (though there's nothing wrong with have multiple ones of a particular type) I also like to have sometimes some connecting element between the cheeses (maybe a mixed milk cheese? maybe cheeses from the same region?) And the cheeses don't neccessarily need to be from different animal milks - though that certainly makes it faster/easier to put the plate together.

Personally, I'm not a fan of preserves and other such additives on my cheese, I'd rather have it on the side. Quince paste is great. Many people like 'chutneys' (with a touch of spiciness to cut the fat) too.

Here are my cheese plate rules, which can be applied to party cheese platters. If you are an advanced cheese person, you have likely developed your own heuristics around cheese courses and plating . This is more for the uninitiated...So 'scuse the pedantics (and this post) if you are already a champion of cheese.

Rule #1: Find yourself a reliable Cheesemonger

Not all cheesemongers and cheese shops are created equal! Is the cheese pre-wrapped, or is it cut to order for you? Does the cheesemonger let you taste the cheese before you buy? Is the cheese shop busy, does the cheese inventory turn over frequently? You need to answer these questions when you walk in to a cheese shop before you consider buying. After all, good cheese isn’t cheap: it will cost you anywhere between $9/lb and $30/lb, depending on method of production, country of origin, and scarcity. If you are going to shell out that kind of dough, make sure the cheese is treated well and is at its peak (à point, in French) before you buy.



Rule #2: Don’t go shopping without a game plan

There is nothing worse than facing a case of hundreds of cheeses and not knowing where to start. Before you start picking cheeses out at random, know what you want. How many cheeses will you serve? Will it be served as a course or as an hors d’oeuvre? You will need much less cheese – 1 oz-1.5 oz per person of each type – if you are going to serve cheese as a dessert course. If it is an appetizer, served buffet style, consider your guests and their appetites.



Rule #3: It is all about odd numbers

Cheese plates should have an odd number of cheeses – 3, 5, 7, etc – rather than even. This is my rule – I suppose you could serve 4 or 6 if you liked but the balance of odd numbers is visually pleasing and is reflected in other arts, particularly Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement.


Rule #4: If you are going to serve a cheese plate, have a theme

Actually, there is no hard and fast rule about a theme, but it sure makes it easier for cheese novices to choose from the dozens, if not hundreds, of cheeses available at the cheese counter. Country, milk type, texture, producer, cheese type, rind, matching a wine you are serving – all of these are potential themes for a plate. Alternately, a non-theme will work too. Picking one cheese each from the category of milk types –sheep, goat, cow – can create a cheese plate with textural, flavor, and visual variety. If you are totally lost, ask your friendly cheesemonger for advice – that’s what they are there for!



Rule #5: Arrange your cheeses mildest to strongest if you are serving cheese as a course

Arrange your cheeses with your mildest cheese at twelve o’clock on the plate, and place the rest of the cheeses – mildest to strongest – clockwise, down and around. Your mildest cheese will end up next to your strongest cheese, if you have a sizable cheese plate. Blues are almost always the strongest cheeses on the plate, followed by washed rind cheeses. Oh yeah, and in the US, it doesn’t matter when you serve cheese, as long as you enjoy it!


Rule #6: Accompaniments are awfully fun

Other foods can intensify and even change the flavor of cheese. Serve cheeses with a variety of accompaniments like toasted nuts, quince paste (membrillo), slices of pear or apple, dried fruits, wine jelly, Italian mostarda, fig cake, or date cake (and any number of other treats available today). Crackers are good if they are to be used as a palate cleanser, but bread is far more interesting as a vehicle for cheese. Try a bread with nuts and fruits, like a pecan-raisin loaf or cranberry-walnut bread.


Rule #7: Water is nice, but wine is finer…but if you are going to do blue, go Port or….

If you are serving cheese at the end of the meal, the last wine you serve with the entrée can be served with dessert if you don’t want to fuss too much. You can also choose a wine to pair with your cheese course, if you really want to create a dazzler (ask your cheesemonger for advice if you have a broad range of cheeses). With strong blues, nothing beats dessert wines like Port, TawnyPort, Muscat, late harvest Zin, Sauternes, big fat reds etc. Milder cheeses can be overwhelmed by syrupy dessert wines, so avoid them if you are not serving strong cheeses.

Rule #8: Enjoy!

Relax and enjoy. Cheese courses should be fun and eye-opening. Don’t stress. If you don’t want to do the work, your cheesemonger will be more than happy to help you out. Remember - you should serve your cheeses at room temperature, so take them out well before you plan to serve them. Don't let them get too warm - leaving them near a stove, a heater, or anything that gives off temperatures higher than ambient will adversely impact your cheese experience.

Quiejo,

You really jumped the level of this thread from simplistic to very sophisticated. Thanks!

It's really too bad I left my purse in the car last night. I could have taken a picture of the pre-fab cheese platter, which made any of the suggestions above look uber creative. It consisted of long, thin rectangles of swiss, cheddar and brick cheeses between rows of slightly longer rectangles of seeded crackers. They paid a pretty penny for very mundane choices and presentation.

The platter I pictured above was part of the Whole Foods demonstration, I had no influence on the cheese choices. While it may not have been an ideal mix, they were showing ideas.

I have to admit to feeling a bit boggled when selecting cheeses for an occasion. I thought the rule of three made sense, though Quiejo's thoughtful post elevates this thought process further, which I am grateful.

Regards,

Thanks Cathy 2 -- If it involves cheese and I can jump in with a few suggestions, you know I most certainly will!

Cathy2 wrote:Quiejo,

You really jumped the level of this thread from simplistic to very sophisticated. Thanks!


It consisted of long, thin rectangles of swiss, cheddar and brick cheeses between rows of slightly longer rectangles of seeded crackers. They paid a pretty penny for very mundane choices and presentation.

Yes, Quiejo's cheese savvy is very much appreciated. The clockwise presentation from mildest to strongest is a suggestion that never occured to me. We have a round cheese platter we usually use and I will try this arrangement, though I'm a little vague about where to position 12:00.

Regarding the bland cheese plate selections from WF, it's probably a case of playing it safe. Anything too funky would likely generate complaints, as many people seem prefer the richness of cheese rather than depth or intensity. Me, I like both.

In 2001, my three New Year's Resolutions were to bring back the hat, the cheese platter and the two dollar bill. I am very gratified to see that my efforts are finally having an impact, and least in one of those areas.

Hammond

HI,

To clarify: the cheese platter pictured above is Whole Foods.

The cheese platter I described from last night is of unknown origin, though probably Sunset Foods since it was half a block away.

Regards,

What a fun thread!

I am no expert, or even close to one, but I ordered a cheese tray for our business' Grand Opening last weekend from the only real cheese place in Bloomington - World Gourmet Foods. I was not aware of the Rule of 3, and it probably wouldn't apply as much to a party tray anyway, so I asked for havarti dill, smoked gouda, a nice emmenthal, and an aged cheddar as well as some french pitted green and pitted kalamata olives.

Along with those four, the owners added a very nice and mild pepperjack, some rolled up slices of baby swiss, and in the middle put what I later found out was brie with mushrooms. I think they added the extra because they had forgotten to make the tray so I had to wait while they fixed it. It was garnished with slices of kiwi and these little pickled red peppers about the size of big olives that started out somewhat hot, but leveled off nicely and were truly delicious.

Now, let me tell you, I hate fungus of every kind, in every form, with every fiber of my being and won't even eat cream of mushroom soup, but I liked that brie cheese! The earthiness of the tiny shroom pieces blended perfectly with the strong flavor of the brie, and there was none of that nasty shroom texture to deal with.

I would've loved to have had a semisoft goat cheese and a wheel of brie, but for our customer base, I thought that some standard cheeses with a twist would be more appropriate. Here's a photo....next time I might try making it myself if I get a good knife or cheese slicer.

http://www.gryfalia.com/photos/grandope ... 20022.html

It was a tray for 30-35 people and cost $65. I didn't think that was bad at all.

For anyone "downstate," World Gourmet is an awesome store. They have over 300 kinds of cheese, tastings every weekend, and you can try most anything. They also sell around 8 kinds of olives by the pound.

http://www.worldgourmetfoods.com/

No, I have no connection to the store except for being a big fan and spending too much every time I go there.

Hi,

At the Whole Foods cheese tray demo, they used a Kyocera ceramic knife to slice the brie. There were many interested parties until they learned the price was $79.

Regards,

I currently have my eye on a couple of Wusthof knives, but I haven't decided yet.

Every time I watch Food TV I have serious knife envy. Mine are terrible. LOL

Cathy2 wrote:At the Whole Foods cheese tray demo, they used a Kyocera ceramic knife to slice the brie. There were many interested parties until they learned the price was $79.

Odd, as the directions that came with mine specifically warned to NOT use them for cheese. Might be OK with brie, but for a cheese like swiss or cheddar the twisting could easily shatter the sharp but brittle blade.

Re "Find a reliable cheesemonger," are there any local purveyors that are particularly commendable?

Thanks a bunch Queijo!

In the past I've thrown together very small cheese plates from time to time, but it's always a mismatched affair. Your advice is much appreciated!

dan