Winter Solstice Cheese Board

# What You'll Need:

→ Dark Side

01 - 3.5 oz Kalamata olives, pitted

02 - 3.5 oz oil-cured black olives

03 - 4.2 oz dried mission figs, halved

04 - 2 tbsp fig jam

05 - 1.4 oz dark chocolate, broken into pieces

06 - 2.1 oz roasted almonds

07 - 1 sprig fresh rosemary, for garnish

→ Light Side

08 - 7 oz ripe Brie cheese, wheel or wedge

09 - 2 ripe pears, thinly sliced

10 - 2 tbsp honeycomb or honey

11 - 1.4 oz toasted walnuts

12 - 2.1 oz seedless green grapes

13 - 1 small bunch fresh thyme, for garnish

→ Accompaniments

14 - 1 small baguette, sliced

15 - 3.5 oz assorted crackers

# How to make it:

01 - Use a line of rosemary or a row of crackers to split a large serving board precisely in half.

02 - Place the Kalamata olives, oil-cured black olives, dried figs, fig jam, dark chocolate pieces, and roasted almonds on one half. Garnish with fresh rosemary.

03 - On the opposite half, position the Brie, thinly sliced pears, honeycomb or honey drizzle, toasted walnuts, and green grapes. Garnish with fresh thyme.

04 - Position the sliced baguette and assorted crackers along the center divider or serve them separately.

05 - Present immediately at room temperature for optimal flavor balance.

# Recipe Expert Tips:

01 -

It looks like edible art the moment you set it down, and people actually pause before eating.
Every element is already prepared, so you can focus on the arrangement instead of panicking in the kitchen.
The contrast between savory-dark and bright-sweet keeps everyone coming back for another bite.

02 -

Slice your pears just before people arrive or they'll turn brown and the whole effect falls apart—a squeeze of lemon juice buys you maybe five minutes extra.
Don't chill the board. Cold cheese loses its creaminess and the whole arrangement feels less inviting, like you're serving appetizers from a refrigerator case instead of something you made with intention.

03 -