You are having company over and you want to impress them with your food and hostessing skills? A simple place to start is with this beautiful cheese platter, composed a la Ina Garten, of Barefoot Contessa fame.
Ina suggests placing large green leaves on a platter or cutting board, then arranging three cheeses, one hard, one medium, and one soft, on the leaves. Here, I used a red-leafed lettuce as it complimented the color of the grapes. Finally, scatter grapes or other fruit around the cheeses, allowing them to flow naturally on the platter. If you do have mixed fruit, remember to keep like fruits together, as that makes for a more pleasing presentation. Provide a knife for each cheese, set a plate of assorted crackers nearby, and your guests will be amazed at your culinary prowess. And you didn't even have to cook a thing!
