Serving, Eating, and Cooking Grafton Cheddar

Keep cheddar in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic. Before serving, let the cheese sit in the kitchen for an hour to take the fridge chill off - its wonderfully complex flavor is best savored at room temperature.

Serve cheese on a sturdy, flat wooden or marble platter. For cutting, use a sharp chef's knife with a strong handle you can bear down with. Better still is a knife specially made for cheese with an angled blade (textured to prevent slippage) that keeps the knuckles off the cutting board. Cheese planes, those flat metal implements with a blade opening in the middle of the face, are good for slicing a thin leaf of cheddar. These should only be used on brick or bar-shaped cheddars. Wheels of cheese should be cut with a sharp knife into wedges.

Tips For Serving

• Allow Cheese to fully warm to room temperature
• Purchase 2 to 4 oz of cheese per person
• Provide separate serving knives for each type of cheese
• Serve with such accompaniments as:
  • Fruits such as apples, pears, grapes or strawberries.
  • Fruit pastes and chutneys.
  • Mustards and jams.
  • Nuts and olives.
  • Fresh, crusty breads or multi-grain crackers.
  • Bold wines.
• The stronger the cheese (more aged), the stronger the accompaniment

No matter "how you slice it" cheese makes a great starter or finish course.