Make This South End Plate: Cheese Spread

Make this South End Plate: Formaggio Edition

T’was a celebratory day at The Upton, as we celebrated our wonderful founder’s birthday. As I stepped outside of the brownstone and subconsciously walked towards Formaggio Kitchen’s location in the South End, the seeds of a cheese plate began to grow in my mind. Laura maintains a paleo-inspired diet and it felt like a crime to not have crackers on the plate. What transpired next will change the course of cheese plates for years to come… The perfect plate to enjoy while not spoiling your appetite for dinner.

THE PLATE:

Our go-to cheese spot is Formaggio Kitchen. With a location in the South End, Formaggio Kitchen is only a 5 minute walk from The Upton.

The unexpected pairing: radishes & turnips

Remembering that we had picked up a bounty of goods from Siena Farms’ location in the South End, I shrugged my arms and thought maybe turnips would work. That was an understatement.

Thinly sliced turnips were the perfect vehicle for cheese. The white ones had a very mild taste but provided a crunch and refreshing flavor notes.

The watermelon radishes added stunning color and an unusual taste to the plate. We recommend adding these as an accent to the plate.

Laura’s favorite nuts are macadamias so we added that to the plate too. We paired the munchies with a rosé from The Urban Grape. The Urban Grape is a fantastic wine store located in the South End that offers a wide selection of wine, and notably for us, some of the best natural wines we’ve had.

Alas, it became obvious to me that I should have known anything that came from Siena Farms and Formaggio would turn out a masterpiece.

A monochromatic plate with a bright pink accent, it was even more beautiful than I had ever imagined. Upon selecting cheeses, we asked the excellent team at Formaggio Kitchen in the South End location for a recommendation of a delicious semi firm cheese in the family-ish of gruyere and an ultra creamy and rich cheese. We are big triple creme people.

Cheese selection:

Comta Grand Cru - 1/4th pound was the perfect amount for a light plate suited for three people. The gentleman helping me said this was one of the strongest amongst its family and one of his favorites. He was right and it was truly delicious. We all agreed that it is one of our new allstars and joining our rotation.

Cremolo Di Bufala - 1/4th again here gave us a fair amount to try without ruining our appetite for dinner. This one had a subtle but rich flavor. We normally go for the Brillat Savarin triple creme but this was a nice change of pace. If you haven’t had the triple creme though that is an absolute must.

Siena Farms is a family farm in Sudbury and Concord, MA. You can purchase their fresh produce at the Siena Farms outpost in the South End, only a 5 minute walk away from The Upton, or at their stand at Copley Square Farmers’ Market.