Cheese Board

Today is National Cheese-Lover’s Day and, while pretty much every day feels like a good day to celebrate (and eat!) cheese (lots and lots of cheese), today is an especially good day for it. You may find yourself leaning toward a decadent triple-crème or a slightly salty blue or maybe something sharp and hard. Whatever the case, if you are like me and planning to make a meal of it, you may also find yourself wondering: What should I drink with my plate of cheese and accoutrements?

Might you be close-minded to the thought of cheese for dessert? People tend to be pretty split on the matter: either they’re on board, or they’re not. For us believers, there’s nothing better than ending a meal with a hunk of cheese and a sweet accompaniment. All that could improve the scenario would be a pour of some delicious dessert wine or sherry. If you’re a skeptic, though, you may need some more convincing.

Perhaps it’s because cheese is so often side-by-side with wine, but grapes always seem to be the most reliable fruit fare to throw on a cheese platter. Trouble is, a grape bunch isn’t the most inspired of additions to a spread of cheese. Update your grape mojo with this elegant and seriously tasty recipe for roasted grapes. It’ll take you less than 40 minutes start to finish, and the result is as equally satisfying as an accompaniment to cheese as on its own.

Cheese boards tend to have some rules, or perhaps they’re more like guidelines, to make them successful: Choose one aged cheese, one soft cheese, something runny. Even with the best suggestions (here are ours) they can feel overwhelming — and expensive. And they’re not really a complete meal.