Midnight Orchard Fruit Cheese Platter (Print View)

Elegant fruit and cheese combination with cherries, plums, grapes, and black-ashed goat cheese.

# What You'll Need:

→ Fruit

01 - 1 cup dark cherries, pitted and halved
02 - 2 ripe plums, sliced into wedges
03 - 1 cup purple grapes, halved

→ Cheese

04 - 7 oz black-ashed goat cheese, sliced or crumbled

→ Garnishes

05 - 2 tbsp toasted walnuts (optional)
06 - 1 tbsp honey (optional)
07 - Fresh thyme sprigs (for decoration)

# Step-by-Step Directions:

01 - Position dark cherries, plum wedges, and purple grapes on a large serving platter, grouping each fruit for visual appeal.
02 - Place slices or crumbles of black-ashed goat cheese alongside the arranged fruit.
03 - Sprinkle toasted walnuts over the platter if using, then drizzle lightly with honey for added sweetness.
04 - Garnish the platter with fresh thyme sprigs for aroma and visual impact.
05 - Present immediately, inviting guests to combine flavors as desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It looks like you spent hours when you really spent minutes, which is the best kind of dinner magic.
  • The contrast between tart fruit and creamy, earthy goat cheese creates a flavor story that keeps people reaching back.
  • No cooking means no stress, just pure assembly and conversation.
02 -
  • The magic is in the quality of each ingredient, not the quantity or technique. If your cherries taste like water, no arrangement will fix it.
  • Arrange this close to serving time. Cheese softens and fruit oxidizes faster than you think, so timing matters more than prep-ahead perfection.
03 -
  • Buy your fruit the day before and store it properly so it's at peak ripeness. A platter made with mediocre fruit is just a beautiful mistake.
  • Taste the honey before you use it. A floral honey can be beautiful here, but an aggressively strong one will overpower everything else.
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