Midnight Orchard Fruit Cheese (Printable)

A striking platter combining dark cherries, ripe plums, purple grapes, and creamy black-ashed goat cheese.

# What You Need:

→ Fruit

01 - 1 cup dark cherries, pitted and halved
02 - 2 ripe plums, sliced into wedges
03 - 1 cup purple grapes, halved

→ Cheese

04 - 7 oz black-ashed goat cheese, sliced or crumbled

→ Garnishes

05 - 2 tbsp toasted walnuts (optional)
06 - 1 tbsp honey (optional)
07 - Fresh thyme sprigs (for decoration)

# How-To Steps:

01 - Place the dark cherries, plum wedges, and purple grapes on a large serving platter, grouping each fruit for visual appeal.
02 - Position slices or crumbles of black-ashed goat cheese alongside the fruit.
03 - Sprinkle toasted walnuts over the platter if using, then drizzle lightly with honey for added sweetness.
04 - Decorate the platter with fresh thyme sprigs.
05 - Serve immediately, allowing guests to create their own pairings.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It takes fifteen minutes and feels like you've created something restaurant-worthy.
  • The tartness of the goat cheese against the sweet, cool fruit is such a perfect balance your guests will keep coming back.
  • There's something deeply satisfying about a platter where everyone builds their own bites.
02 -
  • Pit your cherries before halving them, not after—you'll lose less juice and avoid that frustrating moment of juice running everywhere.
  • If your plums feel hard, they'll taste mealy; if they're too soft, they'll fall apart on the platter. That sweet spot where they yield just slightly to your thumb is exactly right.
03 -
  • Buy your goat cheese the day before and let it come to room temperature for an hour—it becomes impossibly creamy and spreads beautifully across the plate.
  • Toast your own walnuts if possible; the difference between store-bought and fresh-toasted is the difference between ordinary and unforgettable.
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