A cheese plate is effortlessly easy—unwrap wedges, plunk on plates!—but with a little thought, you can really impress. Step it up from everyday cheddar and go big with this bold Spanish theme. Start with the classics: Manchego and Mahon, a crumbly aged sheep’s milk and a buttery cow’s milk. Make it interesting with a goat and a blue. Add the finishing touches with fatty green olives, luxe almonds, and a pat of sugary quince paste.
Spanish Cheese Plate
Ingredients
- Pick your variety of Spanish Cheeses:
- Manchego, Idiazabal, or another hard sheep's milk cheese
- Mahon, or another semi-firm cow's milk cheese
- Valdeón, Cabrales, or another blue cheese
- Cana de Cabra, or another goat's milk cheese
- The Finishing Touches:
- Membrillo (quince paste)
- Green olives
- Marcona almonds
- Sliced baguette
Let's go
1. Trim the top and the bottom from the Manchego, discarding the tough rind. (Leave the rind on the side, because it’s pretty, but you don’t have to eat it.)
2. Thinly slice the Manchego into triangles.
3. Arrange the Manchego triangles, Mahon, Valdeón, and Cana de Cabra on a board or serving plate.
4. Add a pat of Membrillo. Place the olives, almonds, and baguette in bowls, and serve on the side.
Recipe contributed by Becky Duffett, author of How to Feed Yourself, a cookbook for the young and hungry.