Doyenne of the grazing platter, Laura Billington, offers colourful inspiration for a memorable dinner party.
The leaves on the trees are starting to turn to vibrant burnt orange hues, pumpkin spiced lattes are back in coffee shops and cosey jumpers are at the ready: it’s time to enjoy autumn, and how better than with friends and family, and a homemade feast for the eye as well as the tastebuds? I believe a perfect way to enjoy the season is this easy cheeseboard, made with local cheese, fruit and salad sourced from your local farm shop.
The colours, textures, flavours and aroma of this board make me eager for autumn evenings around the fire pit with friends, chatting and eating and having fun. You can use any of your favorite cheeses here, with fruits and berries that make the cheese pop, and by using the autumn colour palette you can’t fail.
You will need
200g Cheshire Cheese Company Smoked Red Leicester cheese
150g blackberries
100g grapes
90g Cheshire Cheese Company Jerk Spice Cheddar
90g raspberries
80g pomegranate seeds
40g yellow cherry tomatoes
35g cornichons
35g cherries
20g blueberries
20g physalis
Sprigs of thyme and oregano to garnish
How to create your autumn wreath cheese board
Take a paddle board or a circular board approximately 30cm in diameter
Cut the Jerk Spice Cheddar into small triangles and arrange around the board, leaving the centre open to create a ‘ring’
Arrange the thyme and sprigs of oregano around your board
Cut the Smoked Red Leicester into squares approximately 2cm in diameter and arrange around the board
Slice the tomatoes in half and arrange around your board
Slice the grapes vertically and arrange around your board
Slice the cornichons vertically and arrange around your board
Take the raspberries and blackberries and cherries arrange around your board
Scatter the pomegranate and blueberries around your board into any remaining gaps
Lastly, remove the leaves and arrange the physalis around your board
Serve with spiced nuts, a spicy tomato chutney and crackers of your choice. I also think this cheese board works really well with a thick and creamy pumpkin soup, if you're in the mood to cook: the warmth of the cheese and the acidity of the fruit is the perfect counterpoint to the sweet, earthy pumpkin.
Laura Billington is a cookbook writer and founder of Graze Cheshire, where you’ll find recipes and grazing board inspiration for every occasion.
