Cheese garnish?

I am having a few cheeses tomorrow night for a party and I wanted to put them on a nice wooden cutting board...but then I realized I have nothing to put under the cheeses first. I would like have liked some grape leaves...but I don't know where I would find fresh ones this time of yr. Any suggestions for what would look nice/be appropriate to lay between the cutting board and the cheeses? They are cheddar, harvarti, and Brie. I was also going to place some red seedless grapes and some table water crackers as well.

Decorative kale? Escarole, arugula or endive leaves? (Knowing me. I'd use a My Little Pony place mat. )

Thanks Gary...so you think any flat green leaf would be appropriate?

(Knowing me. I'd use a My Little Pony place mat. )

Heck NO!! ALL the kiddos stuff is getting cleared out of sight tomorrow evening...I want to pretend that we are crazy adults with no children! LOL!!

Thanks Gary...so you think any flat green leaf would be appropriate?

I like the colorfulness of the decorative kale and the endive, but, yes, any firm leaf will look good.

(Knowing me. I'd use a My Little Pony place mat. )

Heck NO!! ALL the kiddos stuff is getting cleared out of sight tomorrow evening...I want to pretend that we are crazy adults with no children! LOL!!

Well, we could do something more mature ... maybe the Pussycat Dolls?

One more thought: I like putting out fresh fennel. Slice up some of that, include it on the tray, and use the fronds as a decorative element. (Can't ya' tell that I grew up on the same town as Martha Stewart?)

I say just put them down on the cheese board and be done with it. I've seen the cheese trolley presented just that way at Michelin 3-star restaurants in France.

Yes, you can put out a garnish of some fresh green herb or other leaf to enhance the presentation. But the bottom line is the cheeses themselves.

If your cheeses are good, that's all you need. That's certainly all the pros need.

-Paul W.

Maria, have you thought about some fresh herbs? Maybe some lacy dill or some basil leaves.

I vote for simple. You've got three cheeses that all look pretty different, just cut and arrange them nicely, add a bit of fruit to the tableau, maybe some nuts, and enjoy the elegance.

Typically, the cheese course comes after dinner, so if you guys have really forgotten about the kids and are well-marinated by that point, it will have been best to do this arrangement in advance. And keep sharp objects away. Trust me on that last one.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions!

Paul - The cheeses are nice...but not fantastic. They are part of several appetizers that I am serving, and since it's not a wine and cheese party, I didn't go overboard. Also, I am not crazy about placing the cheese directing on my wood cutting baord (which I use mainly to slice fresh bread). So that is the main reason for using the garnish. But ITA, when you have nice cheeses and a really nice board...that's ALL you need!

Gary - Fennel sounds good.

Thanks Linda...I hadn't thought of herbs. Sounds like a good idea.

Maria, hope your party was a success. How did you end up serving your cheeses?

Thanks Linda for asking! The party was a great success!

The cheese looked great...I wished I had taken a picture of it. I used dill under the harvarti, argula under the cheddar, and escarole leaves under the brie. Then I also serve some red grapes and I rolled some salami in the side.

Thanks everyone for all your wonderful ideas.

[Jenise]

Too late to help, but if there's a next time: collard greens, cut freehand with a paring knife into the craggy shapes of grape leaves. They're richly colored, flat, and don't contain too much moisture to wick up into your cheeses.