Posted on 11/20/2006 6:21:45 PM PST by randita
I am in charge of desserts for my family Thanksgiving dinner. Many in my family are not dessert eaters for various reasons and I would like to prepare a dessert cheese and fruit plate for those not eating the standard dessert pies.
I am soliciting suggestions from food savvy Freepers for a good combination of cheeses, fruits and nuts for a nice post dinner nibble. There is a Wegman's supermarket nearby, so almost anything suggested, no matter how obscure, could most likely be found there.
One cheese I have already purchased is a triple cream Brie, which I personally love.
Thanks in advance for all your good suggestions and a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving to you and yours.
randita-Freeper since 1997
Can you help me?
Fromunda
Sorry, I couldn't resist.
Seriously, you can never go wrong with Maytag Bleu.
Seriously, you can never go wrong with Maytag Bleu.
You can also try some goat cheese. I like the kind rolled ashes.
A chocolate dusted Manchego (hard spanish cheese) stands up well on it's own with some port.
Try putting out some fig jam. It goes very well with both the Blue and the Goat cheeses on crackers. It's savory and sweet at the same time. Very yummy.
Jarlsberg Swiss slices offer a very nice contrast to apricots also.
Let me know if you need more.
L
If this isn't too intrusive, why do many in your family not eat dessert? Practically everybody has a sweet tooth. If it is because of allergies to sugar, then how about using a sugar substitute? Many can be used in lieu of sugar for many baked things.
I picked up a nice English cheese the other day-really good-a Double Gloucester.
True. I just baked some Pumpkin Chocolate Bars with Splenda for dessert. There's no difference in the taste. It's the only sugar we use now.
Smoked Gouda along with smoked salmon and capers.
+
Not smoked gouda, but aged gouda. 5 years or more is preferable. Some sweet pecans and red wine and you are set.
:^P
This is a job for the Freeper Kitchen!
Hmmm. I love gorgonzola, first and foremost. I also make it into a spread with cream cheese, green onions (white parts only) and pecan bits.
Of course, a Stilton is in order, too.
Sometimes during the holidays Sam's and other places carry these nice little Bries which are about 2/3rds the diameter of normal and they sell them 3/$10, packaged together. Sometimes I slice off a top rind, put toasted pumpkin seeds (shelled pepitas) on top and heat them slightly and put the rind back on.
Or, do the same with either apricot jam or a good orange marmalade on top, after heating. Or, after heating, top them with beautiful pomegranate seeds and leave them rindless on top.
Or, sometimes I put pesto on top and don't put the other rind back on. When you buy 3 small ones, you can do a lot of different things with them! When they cool again, they can be sliced.
There are two Gourmandise soft cheeses I adore with fruit. One is with walnuts and one is with cherries and kirschwasser. There is also a double-cream Leceister with walnuts that is addictive, but kind of hard-to-find.
I also make spiced apples (poach peeled, cored apples in apple juice or cider with a package of red hots dissolved in the poaching liquid) this time of year. They taste wonderful and they're bright red, all the way through. Pears can be done the same way.
Nutty Baby Swiss is wonderful with fruit, especially apples.
Guava paste, if you can find it, is also good with Manchega. I have a substitute recipe from Martha Stewart I could dig up for you. It's made with pears and cranberries and is very good.
Let's see. I'll think some more and probably come back to add more!
I was thinking recently that the Cornucopia used to be a Thanksgiving theme. I haven't seen one in a while. Maybe you could revive it.
I adore havarti cheese!
Have you visited our Thanksgiving threads yet? Lots of cornucopias, lol!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1737577/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1731677/posts
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.