A FRIENDLIER FRIENDSGIVING: CHEESE BOARDS + OYSTERS (2)

It’s a week until the big day, and I’ve been touting ease around here all week. And I mean it—this menu (and this dessert) are epically easy in the grand scheme of all things holiday. But you didn’t think I would leave it at that, did you? Even simple menu planning requires some knowledge, and how to. I’m here for you.

To pull off the Friendliest, Cheese + Oysters Thanksgiving, Ever (as I’m calling it) you will need a small handful of foods that can be curated from a single grocer, or a few local markets. Keep your shop quick and easy, leaving you time to play stylist (if you like that kind of thing) arranging your meal across a single sideboard, atop your piano, on your kitchen island or even a dresser that’s been cleared for the cause. A simple white cloth and a few candles on candlesticks sets the stage, and a handful of single stems or a bouquet of flowers or even foraged pampas grass and boxwood from a late fall walk (as I’ve used here) make a beautiful arrangement.  

For the food: Plan to buy your pantry items (olives, crackers, panettone) a few days ahead, leaving only the fresh cheese, oysters and essential produce for shopping one day before your guests arrive. Start with your cheese (see the how-to below) and find your total shopping list, below. 

You will need:  

• 4 types of Roth Cheese

• 4 to 6 boxes of crackers

• 2 baguettes

• 2 to 3 dozen oysters

• 6 lemons

• Pickles (homemade or store-bought) 

• 2 bags of your favorite gorgeous fall fruits (quince, persimmons, pears, apples, pomegranate, etc)

• 2 types of fresh fall vegetables (fennel, radish, etc)

• 1 homemade bundt cake or prepared panettone cake + a cake stand

• Powdered sugar 

• Freshly whipped cream 

• 1 bag of ice from the supermarket/deli

• 2 to 8 bottles of wine (depending on your crowd) and or 2 growlers local beer

• Sparkling water or another approved “special” non-alcoholic drink for kiddos, pregnant friends or non-drinkers 

• 1 large linen

• 1 loose bunch of flowers

• A few candles + candlesticks

 Serves:  two families, or 5 couples, or about 10 people

BUILDING YOUR CHEESE MENU:

When I build a cheese board, whether for a holiday or just a simple gathering, I always start with four completely different varieties of cheese--making sure that they hit three categories that keep things fresh and fun, but not intimidating for my guests. Some of my recent favorites come from Roth Cheese, a creamery I love because all their cheese is made in Wisconsin with milk from local dairies, in centuries old tradition of some of the world’s great cheesemakers. Here’s how I chose them, and how I think about cheese in general when making a cheese board: 

 A Kid (and picky grown-up) friendly cheese

High on my list of musts is Roth Grand Cru, a milky yet nutty Alpine-style cheese my kids --and most people--adore. It’s made in imported copper vats, and aged 4 to 9 months until the tasters deem it spot-on. It slices (and melts) like a dream, and pairs well with almost any fall fruits or vegetables, like pears, endive, fennel, crackers, pistachios, jellies, jams or dried fruits (like apricot or fig).

 A Heavy Hitter (big on flavor and presence) 

For the grown ups and self-described cheese snobs, I’m including Roth’s creamy Buttermilk Blue (which wins high marks for flavor and presentation) and a full wheel of handcrafted semi-soft, wash-rind cheese, like Monroe--Roth’s newest cheese with pungent flavor (and aroma!).  

A Subtle Surprise: 

I have always loved deeply orange cheese called Mimolette--a French cow’s milk cheese colored with annatto seed. Roth’s American cousin, called Prairie Sunset®, is this year’s surprise cheese on my board. It’s dense and satisfying, with a subtle butterscotch sweetness which means it’s great with a white cracker, but equally exciting against the brinyness of oysters, or paired with a caramel-y milk chocolate. It’s fun to play with and makes a beautiful statement on any board (it’s the orange cheese, below).

As for the accoutrement:

get creative. Here are a handful of things that play nicely with almost any cheese, and are fun to arrange on boards, in bowls and across little nibbling stations all over the house: 

• Toasted and sea-salted almonds

• Pistachios, in their shells

• Dried fruit

• Castelvetrano Olives

• Preserves, jellies and jams (I love thicker, fruit-forward spreads that are lower in sugar, like marmalade)

• Pickles: homemade or store bought, including gherkins, pickled onions, cauliflower, okra or anything else playful to arrange and fun to eat

• Thinly sliced snappy raw vegetables such as: fennel, endive, broccolini, whole small radishes, sliced watermelon or purple radish

• Thinly sliced sweet fruits such as apple, persimmon or pear

• Crackers, breadsticks and toasted baguette

• Shrimp cocktail or king crab legs 

• Cranberry relish

• Salami, saucisson (French dried sausages) or prosciutto 

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Finally, to put it all together….

Styling Your Board (or Sideboard) can be an act of playful art.

Almost anyone that comes to my house for a party or meal knows it will start with a cheese board--usually a single number crowded with copious nibbles. My husband has made us several beautiful boards, and it’s fun to bring to the table in one fell swoop to nibble as guests gather. This time, though, I wanted to surprise our friends with a little more movement and playfulness--using lots of small bowls, plates, platters, boards and even my grandmother’s antique champagne coupes to arrange cheese, fruits, nuts, olives, oysters and cocktail shrimp. I laid out portions on our credenza (aka: our living room dresser) and another station on our piano, which allows friends to gather and move and chat, without everyone crowding around one board.

This is fun and easy and absolutely zero ways to do it wrong. 

Especially thrilling: with just a few tweaks, you can repeat the menu for your tree-trimming fete, Chanukah, Christmas Eve, or an easy and elegant way to welcome in the New Year. Just Add a wreath, change out the candlesticks, and toss in a few dozen cookies (or latkes!) into the mix, and you’re in business.

Happiest holidays, friends!

**This Post was Sponsored by ROTH CHEESE. All opinions are my own.**  images belong to Sarah Copeland, and should not be pinned or posted without attribution. **

• Photos // HARRISON LUBIN

• Food + Prop Styling // SARAH COPELAND