Holiday Cheese Plate

For the past few years, I have been working on perfecting my holiday cheese plate and I think I found my formula. A mix of delicious cheeses, fruits, homemade crackers, nuts, olives, savory tarts, and a sweet spread to balance the flavors. Quince paste is my new favorite ingredient to add to a cheese plate. It's festive and adds some sweetness. If you can't find the quince paste, a sweet pepper jelly will do. And those tiny apples you see are called Lady Apples and they are good. {The kids love them with a drizzle of honey or caramel.}Our holiday celebrations always include a cheese plate in lieu of lunch and we'll snack on it until dinner comes. It's informal, casual, and we usually set it out on the kitchen island as we begin to prep dinner. It really is one of our favorite times and our kids actually enjoy cheese plates. Come Thanksgiving this cheese plate will make an appearance around noon. Here's what our holiday cheese plate includes:Holiday Cheese PlateSatsuma Mandarins or ClementinesLady Apples or Pears {optional: a drizzle of honey over them}Dried ApricotsMarcona AlmondsOlivesQuince Paste {Membrillo} or Sweet Pepper JellyTriple Crème Goat BrieRogue River Blue CheeseCampo de Montalban {similar to Manchego}Cypress Grove Midnight Moon {aged gouda}Homemade Rosemary Manchego CrackersApple-Onion Tarts {adapted from Martha Stewart}Enjoy and happy holidays!Shown here: Restoration Hardware Tablecloth in Fog, Williams Sonoma Wood Board, Laguiole Spreader Knife