Clever Serving Ideas: Slate for Cheese Tray

Published July 19, 2012

Don’t throw away your leftover slate…use it for entertaining!

Theme parties are becoming more popular these days. Traditional dinner parties are falling by the way side in place of more trendy cheese parties and cocktail affairs. The evening’s fare is often served on unique and clever serving pieces replacing the more traditional style platters. You have probably seen some of these pretty serving ideas at catered affairs and believe it or not you can duplicate these ideas at home.

Slate

Have you just finished a renovation or know someone who has? The square pieces of slate are wonderful serving pieces for cheese. The rustic surface is perfect for highlighting the different choices of cheese and you can write the name of the cheese directly on the slate with chalk. Use assorted slate pieces and mix them up for variety.

Autumn Serving Tray

I love this idea for its versatility. You may have tried the plexiglass placemats with the wrapping paper for a dinner party. For this idea you can use the same plexiglass pieces or go to a glass shop and have some square glass pieces cut. Select some of the pretty fall leaves that are currently everywhere ranging from the large maple leaves to the pretty oak you see by the road. Clean the leaves and let them dry for a week or so. Once dried, simply place the leaves under the plexiglass sheet and place your food on top. If you wish to move the platter around, use two sheets of plexiglass and place the leaves between the two sheets. Secure with invisible tape on the four corners.

Ice Bowl

This is a great idea for serving fresh fruit or a salad. You will need two bowls: one 8″ in diameter and one 6″ in diameter. Place a layer of ice cubes inside the 8″ bowl and set the 6″ bowl inside to fit. Fill the perimeter of the bowl with water and add fresh roses, leaves or any other greenery you may like to display. Place the bowls in the freezer for 24 hours. When ready to serve, simply put the frozen bowl in warm water for a few seconds to loosen the molds. Display the ice bowl on top of a tray that will collect the water during the evening and fill with fresh fruit.

Baskets

One should never underestimate the practicality of a basket. I always search for large, flat baskets that are wonderful to serve bread, cheese and salads. Look for ones with thick wicker and no handles. The handles only serve to get in the way of retrieving the food items.