How To Set Up A French Cheese Breakfast Plate

Yes we are providing a French cheese assortment for a breakfast cheese plate. The Europeans never set a clock for good food so live the good life and have a cheese entree as your morning wake up call or for a light brunch. The cheeses listed below are all easy to find and will make you smile with their flavors and aromas.




Ossau-Iraty or Petit Basque: Both are sheep cheeses from the Pyrenees Mountains with wonderful buttery flavors with an aroma of hazelnuts. Cut either in small but thick wedges.

Crottin Frais: This fresh goat cheese is from the Loire Valley and has a natural rind  a soft creamy inner paste and a light nutty flavor.

Fleur Du Maquis/ Brindamour: Is a soft, mild and aromatic sheep milk cheese from Corsica. The outer rind is encrusted with dried savory and rosemary. Cut in small wedges

Comte (aged):  This is a cow milk cheese is from the Nor-Pas de Calais. Try to find a cheese that is aged for at least 18 months so the nutty flavor is fully developed. Cut into thin wedges or small cubes

Blue d'Auvergne: Is a rindless pasteurized cow's milk blue cheese. This is a mild flavored blue so it will work nicely on our breakfast cheese plate, cut it into small wedges.

French Chees sampler  at Amazon

Arrange the cheese on a tray or plate that is big enough to hold all four cheeses so they do not run into each other. Place sweet berries  (strawberries, blackberries and blueberries) around the cheeses to seperate them. Sweet fruits like honeydew or cantelope will work nicely also. Serve with mini toasts, crackers or crusty bread and hot herb tea.

A Quick Recipe For Fresh Goat Cheese And Olive Dip

                                           Olive Dip With Fresh Goat Cheese

This recipe is quick and easy and will provide your guests with a flavorful, eye-catching appetizer. Fresh goat cheese (Chevre) is light so it is great for the spring and summer seasons. Any fresh goat cheese will work here but we prefer to use the Montchevre brand or try any that your cheese retailer may suggest..



Ingredients:

11oz of fresh goat cheese

3/4 cup of light cream

1 cup of pitted Kalamata olives chopped roughly

1 cup of pitted green olive chopped roughly

1 sprig of fresh thyme leaves

Presentation and prep time 15 minutes

1. Mix the goat cheese and cream together in a small bowl until smooth.

2. Spread about 1/3 of the cheese spread into the bottm of a clean serving bowl.

3.Spread the chopped Kalamata olives over the entire surface of the cheese mix.

4.Spread another layer of cheese mix on top of the chopped olives.

5.Spread the chopped green olives on top of this cheese layer  as before.

Use the remaing cheese mix to cover the green olive layer . Smooth it out and sprinkle the fresh thyme leaves on top.

Serve at room temperature with crackers, flat breads or crusty bread.

A Summer Salad With Goat Cheese, Orange and Fennel

This is an easy to prepare salad that is perfect for light lunchs during the spring and summer months. Orange and fennel work well together and the introduction of an aged goat cheese enhances the flavor of both.

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 large oranges

1 medium head of fennel

1 medium sized red onion

3oz of mixed. spinach, arugula and watercress

5oz aged goat cheese (Capablanca, Garrotxa or Goat Gouda)

Salad Dressing

1/2oz. of pitted black olives

1 tbsp.of fresh parsley

2 tbsp.of extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp. of orange juice

1 tbsp. of balsamic vinegar

salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation

1 Peel the oranges, sperate them in to segments then cut the into mouths sized pieces over a bowl and save the run off orange juice it and put it aside.

2 Discard the tough outer layer of the fennel and then finely slice it.

3 Chop the red onion and cut the goat cheese into small cubes.

4 Combine and mix the spinach, arugula and watercress.

5 Place all of these items into the bowl with the oranges and the juice.

6 Place all of the dressing ingredients into a cruet and shake well.

When ready to serve pour the dressing over the salad and serve with a crusty bread and a small dish of pepperd extra virgin olive oil for dipping.