Rock the holidays with our festive Imported Cheeseboard, created for us by Julie Hartigan of Cooking w/ Julie. Full of unique and delicious flavors and decked in seasonal colors, it looks impressive, yet takes only a few minutes to prepare. Try our suggestions and don’t be afraid to add favorites of your own. You can’t go wrong here, because everything is better with imported cheese.

♥ The Imported Cheeses:

1. A statement ‘round’ that really gets noticed. We like imported Bucheron.
2. A semi-hard sheep’s milk cheese. Try imported Manchego.
3. A cow’s milk: imported Edam is always a crowd pleaser.
4. An Imported Danish cheese. Because it’s all about the blue.
5. A seasonal flair. For the holiday we suggest Wensleydale with Cranberries and an herbed French Brie.
6. For something fun and unexpected: introduce your guests to imported St. Nectaire.

♥ The Accompaniments:

1. Prosciutto or any thinly sliced ham. Cut into ribbons and placed to one side of the board.
2. Aged sausage and salami for the charcuterie fans. Slice some and leave some whole for your guests to cut themselves.

♥ The Extras:

1. Stone ground mustard for a zesty kick.
2. Flavored honey for your guests to drizzle.
3. Chutney or jam. Try something unexpected like lingonberry, peach or fig.
4. Fresh and dried fruit for noshing. Dried apricots and cherries are sweet and tart and. Fresh figs add a bright flavor.
5. Nuts for a salty crunch. Walnuts or cashews are our faves.
6. Olives marinated in garlic and rosemary are wonderful all by themselves.

♥ The Bread:

1. Flatbread is perfect with any cheese.
2. Almond and nut crackers are unexpected. Grainy bread stands up to all the bold flavors.

♥ The Decoration:
Add festive décor to brighten things up.

1. Rosemary and cranberry skewers are a nice surprise.
2. Sprigs and leaves of fresh or dried herbs, like thyme or sage, add color and aroma.
3. Pomegranate seeds for a pop of color.