summer harvest cheeseboard

The cheeseboard traverses the season, and today we’re gathering up summer’s best on a colorful platter.

Every time of year deserves a solid charcuterie platter. I’ve offered several over Thanksgiving and Christmas, largely as a result of J and I’s marathon training and the ease of setting out multiple snacks at once via serving board.

Cheeseboards really are a love of mine. They feel inviting, homey, an edible symbol of gathering and sharing good company. My excitement for autumn hosting amplifies knowing a new platter awaits, but why wait so long? Summer’s abundance enshrouds the grocery stores. The color is extraordinary, the options varied, the beauty inspiring. I attempted her to hone in on some of my favorites for the season, and let me tell you, the culinary adventure helped me embrace this godawful heat we experience and maybe dislike it a bit less.

As with any of my cheeseboards, what I offer is only a guide, not an end-all-be-all. So many customizations are possible, just use your imagination and have fun with this shit. I doubt anyone will whine about what you put forth.

Fruits of Our Labor

Summer fruits are incredible, and I grabbed some of my own preferences around which to base this board:

Peaches… Working with peaches has been a delight this summer, and since the season is so short I bought the best looking of the bunch.

Strawberries… Quintessential spring and summer snacking. I first thought to make a cheeseboard after buying Trader Joe’s Strawberry Jalapeno Crisps, so naturally these gems needed to be added.

Cherries… Plump, sweet and tart both. I love both varieties but used standard reds here.

Figs… More of a late summer addition, another with a short season.

Other things you could do: apricots, plums, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries…Really, most stone fruits and berries.

Tomatoes are technically a fruit, and summer wouldn’t be acknowledged properly without them. I threaded some mini cucumber and tomato skewers as a savory component. Especially good if you choose burrata or mozzarella as your cheese. Which brings me to…

Cheesy, Meaty Business

I sized my cheeseboard to feed a crowd of about 8-10, so you can certainly scale these recommendations as well. For such a gathering, though, let’s go with the 3-4 cheese varieties rule. Even if you have more people, I’d recommend buying multiple blocks of those selections so to not overwhelm yourself or your guests.

I usually pick one hard, one soft, and one choice cheese to balance out the board’s textures. Here, I grabbed a wedge of gouda, an 8 oz ball of burrata (you can also pick up 2 4-oz balls), and a log of honey orange goat cheese. I’d save the intense blues and stinkier types for the richer wintertime cheeseboards.

For the meats, pick up what you and your guests prefer. I almost always have prosciutto (very accessible, and the only time you’ll see me post meat on FMG) and smoked salmon (for me), but if you like any kind of salami, by all means. Again, 3-4 selections does the trick.

The Fillers

Of course, crackers are a must. I mentioned the crisps before, and the other box I grabbed was a simple multigrain water cracker. Wafer crisps, pita crackers, Ritz crackers, even pretzels are good options. Feeling frisky? Toast some baguette to scoop up the burrata and plop a tomato skewer atop. Yum.

Nuts fill in the gaps. Marcona or guara almonds are the best in my opinion, but I also love pistachios, pepitas, walnuts…really anything goes here.

For a savory touch, some mixed marinated olives. Artichokes or pickles, too.

And of course, a nice dessert component. Dark chocolate squares are my go-to. I added a jar of strawberry jam as well.

Arranging the Board

You can really spread things out how you like, but I chose a bit of a formulaic approach by separating the sweeter components from the savory, and letting them fuse in the center around the cheeses.

On the top, I set some of the prosciutto, gouda, almonds, and skewers, surrounded by multigrain crackers and accentuated by a bowl of olives and burrata, with almonds scattered about. I drew an implied line between sweet and savory with rolled up smoked salmon pieces beside another handful of gouda triangles. Below that “barrier” I set the goat cheese, peaches, cherries, strawberries, figs, jam, crisps, and chocolate. Kind of like a suggestion to work from the top down.

Of course, you don’t have to be so symbolic. I pretty much always set the cheeses in the center as the primary attention-getters, and arrange everything else at will.

The takeaway? Have fun, enjoy summer, and drink plenty of wine with your cheese.

Tried this cheeseboard out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me how you made it!

More cheeseboard inspiration:

Fresh Fig and Olive Bruschetta Cheeseboard

Festive Holiday Cheeseboard + Tips