I was happy to attend a lovely early fall brunch highlighting the versatility of French cheeses at the French Cheese Board, here in NYC, a few weeks ago. If you have yet to visit it, do stop by! It is such a special little spot, a real ambassador of the French cheese experience, aimed at educating and entertaining everyone around the subject of French cheeses (and there are so many!)

The brunch featured both French cow and goat’s milk cheeses. All the cheeses are extremely different and unique, depending on their terroir, and are protected by the PDO, protected designation of origin, label. Fun fact: 4.7kg or 10 lbs is the average annual amount of PDO cheeses purchased per household in France!

Chef Safia Osman, who has a pastry chef background but is a cheese lover at heart, prepared a variety of creative pairings you may not have thought of before!

Kiwi and chèvre – amazing together in this panna cotta!

The Triple Creme “fancy toast” with homemade jam was the biggest hit, I think, across the board, and it is something you could more easily replicate at home too!

Courtesy of CNIEL

Next up was a savory cheese platter, featuring some of my personal favorites like Comte (a perfect pairing with champagne) and Mimolette.

Courtesy of CNIEL

It was fun and exciting to hear different anecdotes about the history of the cheeses and discuss wine pairings for each. And that’s something you can experience whenever you stop into the French Cheese Board for a quick shop, a tasting or a class!

Courtesy of CNIEL