Choosing a gourmet cheese can be very overwhelming if you’re just beginning to indulge in this delicious genre of food. It can even be overwhelming if you’re not a beginner and are simply faced with a large selection! I’ve made it easy for you to choose some definite crowd-pleasers for the next cheese plate you create by spelling out some of my all-time favorites. You won’t want to miss these tips!
Saint-André – I’ve never seen anyone not thoroughly enjoy this triple cream brie. It’s amazing and should be the one brie you put on the platter!
Sally Jackson – A very intriguing cheese given that it’s wrapped in chestnut leaves. The subtle nutty flavor will tease your taste buds just the right amount.
Tomme de Montagne – An excellent cheese and my husband’s favorite. However, you can’t go wrong with any “tomme” really. Tomme de Vache, Levezou or Savoie are nice as well.
Petit Basque - our friend Paul totally digs this cheese. We even gave him a thick wedge for his birthday, he likes it that much!
St Pat by Cowgirl Creamery – Wrapped in nettle leaves, this cheese not only adds color to a plate, but also a nice, balancing, mellow flavor. Don’t worry though, the nettle doesn’t sting 
Not even a little bit!
Trappe d’Echourgnac – This cheese is a recent introduction and we found ourselves wanting more and more of this nutty, earthy cheese.
Blue Cheese – Ask the cheesemonger for a recommendation on a blue should you choose to add this to your plate. It’s not necessarily a crowd pleaser, but it does add visual interest to a cheese plate. I like to add a nice blue or Roquefort in small quantities.
On the side you’ll want to serve a few things to balance out the plate and to enhance the flavors of the cheese. Here are some suggestions:
Thin Slices of Apples and/or Pears – Pink Lady apples are nice, but really as long as the apple is firm you’re good to go. Cut the slices thin. When it comes to pears you’ll want to choose a firm, but ripe pear; again, slice ‘em thin! Both taste excellent with any kind of cheese. Fan the slices out a little for extra points in the presentation department
Salad au Noix – Nuts add nice texture and flavor, but if you want to lighten things up with a salad too, go with a combination of the two!
Apricot Paste from Beechers – this Seattle purveyor puts out a high-quality paste that I adore with brie, or any other mellow cheese.
image by Lucas Allen
love this cheese guide, fantastic!
If you like the Saint Andre, you have to try Delice de Bourgogne – unbelievable triple cream brie, similar to Saint Andre, but made by a smaller French cheesemaker than the more industrial Saint Andre.