• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Contact

Kitchen Konfidence

menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
  • ×
    Home / Recipes / Course / Appetizer / Summer Cheese Board + Tangy Cucumber Pickles Recipe

    5 July 29, 2016 Appetizer

    Summer Cheese Board + Tangy Cucumber Pickles Recipe

    Jump to Recipe

    Hello friends and Happy Friday!!

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Summer Cheese Board

    That thing.  That thing that you see up there.  That’s one of my favorite things.  A massive cheese board filled with a bounty of flavor possibilities.  Something creamy.  Something crunchy.  Something sweet.  Something tangy.  To me, it’s truly a thing of beauty.

    During the summer months, when simple, no-cook  meals are many and close-between, I’ll often throw together a cheese board filled with an assortment of light cheeses, fresh fruit and veggies from the garden.  Add some sliced bread, crisp crackers and punchy pickles to the mix, and you’ve got an impressive meal ready in moments.  Of course, this cheese board would also be an appropriate appetizer for any summer gathering.  Continue reading for some cheese board guidelines plus a Tangy Cucumber Pickles recipe!

    Summer Cheese Board 1

    Let’s start with the cheeses.  When it’s hot out, I often find myself gravitating towards cheeses that are fresh, herbaceous and salty.  Anything with a light tang or funk is also welcome.  Pictured here:

    • Feta drizzled with olive oil
    • Garlic and herb goat cheese
    • Black pepper goat cheese
    • Burrata
    • St. Andre brie

    You can find all of these options at Trader Joe’s!

    Summer Cheese Board 2

    Next, bring the freshness.  There are so many delicious fruits and veggies available during the Summer that pair beautifully with cheese.  Splurge here if you can as well.  The peaches and plums from the Farmer’s Market may be a bit pricier, but they are well worth the extra bucks.  Try the following:

    • Plums
    • Peaches
    • Cantaloupe
    • Figs
    • Tomatoes
    • Herbs (basil here)

    I also transformed a couple of Persian cucumbers into  sharp, tangy pickles to balance the sweetness of the fruit and the richness of cheese.  To make the pickles, you simply dissolve sugar and salt in a mixture of rice wine vinegar and water, then pour over the cucumber slices.  Red chiles (also in season) added to the brine add a spark of warming heat.  Once the mixture cools, the pickles are ready to eat!

    Summer Cheese Board 3

    Finally, add some crunch.  I like to serve both toasted bread and crackers on a cheese board for a little variety in flavor and texture.  Toasted and seasoned nuts are a simple snack.  Any nut will work here, but I love the combination of pecans and stone fruit.  Here are my picks:

    • Toasted whole wheat bread
    • Raisin rosemary crisps
    • Italian rosemary crackers
    • Warm pecans seasoned with sea salt

    Summer Cheese Board

    Summer Cheese Board
    0 from 0 votes
    Print

    Tangy Cucumber Pickles Recipe

    Adapted from here.
    Servings 1 pint
    Author Brandon Matzek

    Ingredients

    • 2 Persian cucumbers, ends trimmed, sliced
    • 1 - 2 Fresno chiles, ends trimmed, sliced
    • 3/4 cup unseasoned rice wine vinegar
    • 1/4 cup water
    • 1/4 cup sugar
    • 1 tablespoon kosher salt

    Instructions

    1. Place sliced cucumbers and chiles in a small bowl. Use 2 chiles if you can handle the heat.
    2. Place vinegar, water, sugar and kosher salt in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Pour the hot brine over the cucumbers and chiles. Cover and let cool to room temperature. You can enjoy immediately, but they're better if you let them sit overnight in the fridge. Store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

    Here are some other light summer meals on Kitchen Konfidence:

    Grilled Lemon Chicken Salad

    Grilled Lemon Chicken Salad with Basil Dressing

    Garlic Butter Spaghetti with Zucchini Noodles

    Zucchini Garlic Butter Spaghetti

    Avocado Toast 5 Ways

    Avocado Toast 5 Ways

    Beer Bread Toast 3 Ways

    Beer Bread Toast Recipes

    Tomato Confit Pasta

    Tomato Confit Pasta

    5
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • WhatsApp
    • Email

    Categories: Appetizer

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. averie @ averie cooks says

      August 5, 2016 at 8:05 am

      I want this to be my dinner every night! I can do some damage to a cheese board and this one is gorgeous! I love those TJ’s crackers so much 🙂

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        August 5, 2016 at 8:43 am

        Haha me too!! And yeah, they’re a favorite from TJ’s. Have a great weekend Averie!

        Reply
    2. Jenny (VintageSugarcube) says

      August 25, 2016 at 12:52 pm

      That’s the SEXIEST cheese board evahhh!

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        August 28, 2016 at 9:26 am

        Thanks Jenny :D!!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    Brandon and Federico

    I'm Brandon: food explorer, recipe curator, cocktail shaker, dessert lover. Kitchen Konfidence is how I document my time spent in my favorite space, the kitchen. Read More…


    Popular Posts

    • Pork Ribs on the Grill
    • Sriracha Aioli Recipe
    • Zucchini Pizza Recipe
    • Jorge’s Green Chilaquiles Recipe

    GET THIS FREE 40-PAGE ECOOKBOOK! SIGN UP BELOW

    ebook cover 2021

    Subscribe Here


    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Kitchen Konfidence

    • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Copyright & Licensing
    • Download my E-Book!
    • See All Recipes

    Subscribe

    • Sign Up! for weekly emails.

    Get Social!

    Kitchen Konfidence is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

    All Content & Images © 2021 Kitchen Konfidence