Cheese Board with Squash Crackers
A few weeks back I shared my love of zucchini, and I wanted to offer another fun suggestion!
Over the weekend my sister Maggie was visiting, and we got creative with a balanced cheese board using squash instead of crackers. The results were delicious!
Let’s talk about balance
Balance your flavor. We wanted a little of at least four different cheeses: one mild, one aged, one pungent/bleu and one soft from organic grass-fed cow, goat and sheep milk. (A bonus for those who indulge in nut cheese, like from Miyoko’s.) Careful not to go overboard! Cheese gets a bad rap sometimes, but, man, is it delicious. I know a lot of people who identify cheese as their guilty pleasure or stress snack. Let’s reframe it. Cheese is a significant fat source, allowing you to recognize your satiety. Cheese provides calcium, vitamin K-2 and protein needed for bone health and vitamin B 12 needed for proper functioning of the nervous system. Yes, it’s pricey to high-quality cheese, but if we’re going to indulge, might as well make it worth it.
Balance your indulgence. If we’re living by the “80% is good enough” mentality, we can’t just eat cheese & crackers. We replaced crackers with zucchini & squash rounds. Zucchini and yellow squash are sturdy vegetables with mild flavor that compliments cheese. Zucchini and squash are rich in carotenoids, compounds that protect our skin, are good for our heart and strengthen our bones.
Balance your composition. Last element of balance was the overall composition, thinking about what we wanted our plate to look like. I advocate for a plant-forward diet, so finding balance on a cheese board takes some extras. We chose other salty snacks including olives and pickles (which are a fermented complement with probiotics!), sweet tomatoes rich in lycopene and tangy pickled beets, along with artichokes to ensure we got our daily dose of fiber!
Find Ease
Hope you take time to find some ease in your evenings and weekends and balance your indulgences. No need to feel guilty - listen to what your body needs!
Suggested Cheese Board ingredients
Triple Cream Brie
Manchego
Irish Cheddar
Feta, Chevre or Bleu
Pickled Beets
Olives
Pickles
Tomatoes
Artichoke Hearts
Zucchini & Yellow Squash Rounds, sliced thinly and toasted in pan for a few min each side
Serve with your favorite hydrating beverage!
Prepared in conjunction with Maggie Wehri
Written in conjunction with Stephanie Dow