Presentation ideas

[blissful]

DH's family reunion is this coming saturday. My contribution will be 5 lbs of cheese curds, white and orange.

How can I present them??? In some kind of insulated or iced container and with tongs maybe? I'd like it to look nice and make it easy to serve themselves. Can you help me out with some ideas here? Thank you in advance.

 

[GotGarlic]

DH's family reunion is this coming saturday. My contribution will be 5 lbs of cheese curds, white and orange.

How can I present them??? In some kind of insulated or iced container and with tongs maybe? I'd like it to look nice and make it easy to serve themselves. Can you help me out with some ideas here? Thank you in advance.

Cheeses usually taste better at room temperature. I would get a large dish or cutting board and make a beautiful cheese platter. Add some fruit to counter the sticky cheese, nuts, maybe some honey or mustard and some type of jam or chutney that goes well with it. Make little signs that show what kind of cheeses they are. You can buy them at kitchen stores, or make something with paper and toothpicks. Have a basket of crackers and sliced baguette alongside.

Here's an example of what I mean:

 

[GotGarlic]

A set of cheese serving utensils would also help showcase your wonderful homemade cheeses.

 

[sparrowgrass]

No need to label--they are white cheese curds or yellow cheese curds.

A big platter with cheese and fruit would be nice. I don't really think you need to ice them. Maybe put half of the curds out in the beginning and keep the rest in the fridge/cooler until they are needed.

 

[GotGarlic]

No need to label--they are white cheese curds or yellow cheese curds.

A big platter with cheese and fruit would be nice. I don't really think you need to ice them. Maybe put half of the curds out in the beginning and keep the rest in the fridge/cooler until they are needed.

If you've been following her posts, she's been making several types. This is from her post in March:

Havarti
Butterkase
Caerphilly
Colby (2 1/2 months)
Parmesan1 (10 months)
Romano1 (8 months)
Cheddar1 (6 months or much more)
parmesan2
romano2
gruyere (6 months and more)
cheddar2

 

[blissful]

If you've been following her posts, she's been making several types. This is from her post in March:

Havarti
Butterkase
Caerphilly
Colby (2 1/2 months)
Parmesan1 (10 months)
Romano1 (8 months)
Cheddar1 (6 months or much more)
parmesan2
romano2
gruyere (6 months and more)
cheddar2

Welp, thank you for paying attention! I'm just bringing cheese curds to this family reunion.

I'm loving the fruit/cheese curd tray ideas.

 

[GotGarlic]

Welp, thank you for paying attention! I'm just bringing cheese curds to this family reunion.

I'm loving the fruit/cheese curd tray ideas.

Okay. I guess I assumed there would be a selection of your aged cheeses I'm sure it will be a big hit.

 

[Dawgluver]

I like the cheese curd/fruit plate. And agree with Sparrow, probably no need to ice them.

What comes to my mind when I think cheese curds are the deep-fried ones we'd get when I lived in WI. Oh, the squeak, the taste!

Wonder if something similar do-it-yourself could be cooked in a fondue pot or such. Partiers could dip in crumbs or not, skewer their own curds and stick them in the pot. Never heard of it done this way, just a thought in addition to the fruit/curd platter.

 

[Sagittarius]

I do my cheese presentations on pure slate rock slabs / rectangular ..

I place the selected fruits and walnuts, brazil nuts, hazelnuts, roasted almonds and on another pure slate rock slab ..

The black slate impacts all the colors very handsomely.

Wood is a wise choice too ..


Nice post .. Have a wonderful time ..

 

[GotGarlic]

I like the cheese curd/fruit plate. And agree with Sparrow, probably no need to ice them.

What comes to my mind when I think cheese curds are the deep-fried ones we'd get when I lived in WI. Oh, the squeak, the taste!

Wonder if something similar do-it-yourself could be cooked in a fondue pot or such. Partiers could dip in crumbs or not, skewer their own curds and stick them in the pot. Never heard of it done this way, just a thought in addition to the fruit/curd platter.

Or something like caprese salad, with slices of fresh tomato and basil! Yum! Personally, I like it better with red wine vinegar than balsamic.

 

[Steve Kroll]

One of my favorite foods. I grew up in Wisconsin and spent summers working at a family friend's cheese factory where we churned out cheese curds (literally) by the ton. They're served at pretty much every kind of get together there, often within hours of being made, when they are at their best.

Cheese curds are not considered a fancy food, any more than chips or pretzels would be considered fancy. No sauces. No fruit compotes. No black slate, Margi. The point is that they are a fun food. A typical "presentation" might be to serve them in a shallow bowl at room temperature. If it wasn't a special occasion, we'd usually just unceremoniously set the open bag out on the table.

I'll admit I did once see a lady serve them on a platter with greens underneath and fancy toothpicks, but that was in Minnesota. On that subject, flavored (or - ack! - smoked) cheese curds are an abomination... undoubtedly also the result of Minnesota's need to tamper with Wisconsin's dairy products.

Hopefully, your cheese curds are within a couple of weeks of their born-by date. Once past a certain age, they lose their fresh squeakiness and take on more of a mature cheese quality and texture. Regardless, they are always served at room temperature.

 

[blissful]

Steve, I hear you fellow Wisconsinite. Yeah, I'm spending Thursday and Friday making curds so the born by date is just days previous to serving. I appreciate all the incoming suggestions.

 

[Just Cooking]

Cheese curds...
Another food I have not experienced... I'll have to remedy that soon...

Ross

 

[Steve Kroll]

Steve, I hear you fellow Wisconsinite. Yeah, I'm spending Thursday and Friday making curds so the born by date is just days previous to serving. I appreciate all the incoming suggestions.

Blissful, I didn't realize you were from Wisconsin. What part? I grew up near La Crosse.

That certainly explains your love of cheese! As I mentioned, I used to work summers at my godfather's cheese factory, and then at Ferryville Cheese right after high school. My job was cutting, salting, and packing. Packing was the best job, because sometimes the fresh curds coming out of the chute would go astray and miraculously end up in one's mouth.

 

[blissful]

Blissful, I didn't realize you were from Wisconsin. What part? I grew up near La Crosse.

That certainly explains your love of cheese! As I mentioned, I used to work summers at my godfather's cheese factory, and then at Ferryville Cheese right after high school. My job was cutting, salting, and packing. Packing was the best job, because sometimes the fresh curds coming out of the chute would go astray and miraculously end up in one's mouth.

Yeah, I'm in Wisconsin my whole life, America's Dairyland. That's awesome that you worked at your godfather's cheese factory. Those crime-families are quite popular here. (<wink wink> reference to godfather) My DH who doesn't work in cheese for his career, started out as a young man and worked in two cheese factories. The first one was Tolibia which is now owned by Saputo, and then the Rodgersville cheese factory (owner tied to the mafia). I have one brother that lives very close to LaCrosse now in a little place called Onalaska.

My DH, now that I'm making cheese, tells tales that they extruded cheese in 'salami' shapes and he was often the one cleaning the tanks. So, that tells me DOES actually know how to wash dishes, he just chooses not to do so. DH does his part, he eats cheese.

I appreciate all the presentation ideas. I'm pretty set on washing up some strawberries and grapes, and making two big casserole dishes ready, with fruit and cheese curds, so it will be easy to present for the day. Thank you to everyone for their kind thoughts and ideas.

 

[Cheryl J]

Cheese curds...
Another food I have not experienced... I'll have to remedy that soon...

Ross

Me either, Ross...but after a little research it sure does sound delicious.

 

[Cheryl J]

Yeah, I'm in Wisconsin my whole life, America's Dairyland. That's awesome that you worked at your godfather's cheese factory. Those crime-families are quite popular here. (<wink wink> reference to godfather) My DH who doesn't work in cheese for his career, started out as a young man and worked in two cheese factories. The first one was Tolibia which is now owned by Saputo, and then the Rodgersville cheese factory (owner tied to the mafia). I have one brother that lives very close to LaCrosse now in a little place called Onalaska.

My DH, now that I'm making cheese, tells tales that they extruded cheese in 'salami' shapes and he was often the one cleaning the tanks. So, that tells me DOES actually know how to wash dishes, he just chooses not to do so. DH does his part, he eats cheese.

I appreciate all the presentation ideas. I'm pretty set on washing up some strawberries and grapes, and making two big casserole dishes ready, with fruit and cheese curds, so it will be easy to present for the day. Thank you to everyone for their kind thoughts and ideas.

What great stories, Bliss and Steve!

 

[blissful]

Steve, I miss that one question. I'm from the Waukesha area, and now for the past 30+ years I live in Mukwonago, which is south of 94 about half way between Milwaukee and Madison. Where are you from?

 

[Steve Kroll]

Steve, I miss that one question. I'm from the Waukesha area, and now for the past 30+ years I live in Mukwonago, which is south of 94 about half way between Milwaukee and Madison. Where are you from?

I know exactly where Mukwonago is. I was born in Milwaukee, but raised in a teeny, teeny little town called Boscobel in the southwest part of the state. Positively beautiful area, and I loved growing up there.

 

[blissful]

I know exactly where Mukwonago is. I was born in Milwaukee, but raised in a teeny, teeny little town called Boscobel in the southwest part of the state. Positively beautiful area, and I loved growing up there.

Boscobel, yes, a lovely town of only about 3000 people! We have friends that moved there, Mike and Sue. I would guess that town was smaller when you lived there. I was also born in Milwaukee, St. Joes.