How to update your cheese platter for summer

The colder months are good for hearty pies and creamy bakes. When the sun is out, light salads and colourful fruits adorn our tables. But a cheese platter? That’s a year-round delight, as I’m sure you’ll agree!

However, the best cheese boards are the ones that play to the strengths of the environment, with in-season fresh produce and cheeses that complement the weather. Here’s how to make the perfect summer cheese platter for your next sunny luncheon:

A selection of in-season summer fruits

Australia’s home-grown produce is some of the best in the world, and it would be a shame not to make the most of the bright in-season aisle at your local grocer. Blackberries, blueberries, cherries, raspberries and strawberries are all gorgeous summer fruits, and pair well with a creamy brie or chèvre goats cheese.

Other in-season summer fruits include grapes and melons, which match beautifully with a camembert; and stone fruits like peaches and plums, which pair better with cheeses like stilton or bleu.

Keep it light and breezy

Whilst winter perhaps called for nuttier flavours, pungent, warmed-up cheeses and heavy breads or crackers, summer is all about keeping it light. Take advantage of white, creamier cheeses, with fresh herbs and cold meats. This is the perfect opportunity to bring out the fluffy burrata and mozzarella too, paired with juicy slices of colourful watermelon, and top it all off with a fresh summer white wine.

The perfect summer platter

Now that you’re ready to get started, we’ve compiled what we think is the ideal combination of cheeses, summer fruits, condiments and accompaniments to refresh even the simplest of cheeseboards. Use this guide as a base, pick and choose, personalise, and create a summer centrepiece worth repeating every year:

The cheeses:

1. 1 round of brie
2. 1 log herbed chèvre
3. 200g fresh burrata
4. 30g gorgonzola
5. 200g neufchâtel (cream cheese)
6. 1 baked camembert round

The pairings:

1. 100g prosciutto (cold)
2. olive oil with rosemary sprigs
3. handful of cherries
4. handful of blackberries / blueberries
5. fresh red grapes
6. fresh chilli oil
7. a few slices of watermelon
8. a few slices of green melon