Help with dessert/fruit? platter

[greysangel]

Okie...

For my little reception/champagne toast, I wanted to have cake and some kind of platter. For the cakes I'm going to make the chocolate peanut butter crunch cake (for me!) and a smaller version of the epicurious tiramisu cake with berries for the traditional "wedding" cake (and for DH who loves tiramisu).

Now this platter is another story. Originally I thought kind of a cheese/fruit thing...but what kinds of cheese/fruit? It's mid october so berries aren't really in season. Apples and Pears?

Or should I go with a bar/cookie/fruit kinda thing with shortbread and other things?

Help?


JeAnne

p/s it's apprx 12 people.

[slknight]

I don't know if this is too corny or not, but at MamaSue's coffee klatch, Leslie (syzygy) brought an arrangement of fruit that looked like flowers. They were different pieces of fruit cut into shapes that were on kabob sticks. It looked really cool, and you could make it festive. It also means you can use a whole variety of fruit, and don't need to limit yourself to just apples/pears. Here's one of the pics from the thread. The fruit is just to the left of the actual flowers:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid65/p25f785a8aa7b546d411cd10cfac1404a/fbf79bca.jpg

Is that too hokey?

[greysangel]

that's cute! I'm just thinking how long would something like that hold up? If I'm just cutting fruit, I can do that easily enough right before putting it out. However, if I'm assembling something..I would have to do it in the morning...which by late afternoon the fruit may not be looking so nice :(

JeAnne

[CompassRose]

Figs and goat cheese. Pomegranate seeds. Medjool dates. Apples and smoked cheddar.

[slknight]

Originally posted by greysangel
that's cute! I'm just thinking how long would something like that hold up? If I'm just cutting fruit, I can do that easily enough right before putting it out. However, if I'm assembling something..I would have to do it in the morning...which by late afternoon the fruit may not be looking so nice :(

JeAnne

Hmmm. I don't know; I guess it would depend on the kind of fruit. You might want to try PMing her or e-mailing her with more details about what fruit she used, how far ahead of time she did it, etc.

[Pony]

At our reception the caterer served

Seasonal Fresh Fruit Platter and there were dipping sauces which consisted of Chocolate Fondue, Honey Yogurt, Berry Coulis and Grand Marnier Sabayon.

Of course, I didn't get any :mad: to busy drinking wine ;)

[CompassRose]

Starfruit is so pretty... but I have never, not ever, eaten a piece that tasted like anything other than damp styrofoam. :(

Grapes... of course! What about frosting some of the fruit with sparkly sugar, too?

[kjh01]

I think a cheese/fruit platter is a lovely idea - and those who don't want a heavier dessert will really enjoy it.

My rule of a cheese platter is variety - something mild, something creamy, something sharp, and something stinky.

As far as fruit goes, I think you could use just about any of them - everything is so available these days! Apples and cheese are a wonderful combo - how about some grapes? Pineapple? Maybe something exotic, like starfruit?

[kjh01]

ooh! sparkly sugar on the grapes would be lovely! BUT I would not do all of it, because it might interfere with the fruit/cheese flavor combo. I am thinking of some good Brie and grapes and drooling on my keyboard

Okay, no starfruit. How about papaya? Mango?

[tamawrite]

How about chocolate fondue -- I like to serve it with a pineapple halved and hollowed out to hold the chocolate.

[Lrimerman]

If you have the barefoot contessa cookbooks (or can get one out of the library) she has pictures and instructions/ideas for a nice fruit platter and for a fruit & cheese platter. I have done these following her guidelines and everyone is always impressed. It is in her first cookbook.

I made the fruit platter and her lime curd dip for supper club and they loved it (both can be done ahead, the lime curd could be done a week or so ahead). Also, I made a creamy chocolate fondue dip from the Pampered chef for a second dip with the fruit and they ate it all up before the brunch even started (we ended up calling it an appetizer because it never made it to the buffet table.).

If you need any of the recipes let me know, but it helps to read and look at the pictures for the trays.

Lisa

[greysangel]

Thanks Lisa! Can you just give me the name of her first book? I don't have any of them :o

J

[Vicanddi]

How about mango with some brie? It is a wonderful combination. I also like pears and apples with just about any cheese.

[Lrimerman]

No problem the first book is called "The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook".

I love all her cookbooks, but seem to use this one the most, so if you can't get it at the library, it is worth buying. I have made so many recipes out of it.

Lisa

[wallycat]

Originally posted by CompassRose
Figs and goat cheese. Pomegranate seeds. Medjool dates. Apples and smoked cheddar.

I'M DROOOOOLING :o

Could you incorporate any dried fruits...like dried apricots?
A traditional french-country type of dessert is prunes stuffed with goat cheese (or some other cheese).
They also have dried banana chips and dried mangos, dried blueberries, dried cherries....maybe that's too much dried over-kill, but a few with the apples/pears...ooooh, and what about plums?

Another cheese pairing I read about in one of my cheese books is called a "Romeo and Juliet" where you get a wedge of cheese and a marmalade or jam on the side to eat with. I've tried it and it is wonderful.

I'll dig through my cheese books and see what other suggestions they have.
I also have Martha's old, old, old "entertaining" book I'll look through. I think she does season-type menu

OK, now I have to go eat :rolleyes:

editing to add, I've just scanned the books and not much new info.
Kiwi may work (it's summer in Australia :rolleyes: ) if you didn't care whose season the fruit was in :o
Martha's suggestion was to even include breadsticks and toast because not everyone wants a sweet finish with cheese.
Oh, and to complicate things....port is a good after-dinner-go-with-cheese drink :D :p ;)

[greysangel]

yah...the figs and dates have me drooling too....although DH would love the mango and brie. What is the difference between a fig and a date anyway?

:o :D

J

[caseyconor]

There is a woman that used to work in our corporate office that received edible arrangements for every occasion - they are really cool - not sure how far in advanced they are made up before they are delivered - and if the price range is reasonable - but here is a link to the site to get ideas.

http://www.ediblearrangements.com/

[CompassRose]

Figs and dates... completely different!

Figs, when they are not in fig Newtons, are cute little bottom-heavy fruits with lots and lots of seeds, which makes them crunchy.
California figs (http://www.californiafigs.com/history/index.html) Dried figs are very good; fresh figs, though expensive, are truly sensual things, blushing purplish and delicious.

Dates are, in shape and pit-ness, reminiscent of prunes/plums -- but they absolutely don't taste like them. They are meltingly sweet... indeed, a succulent date is a very fitting substitute for a chocolate/caramel craving. There is little to compare to a fresh Medjool, though. Medjools are one of the finest dates, very large and particularly soft... a far cry from the dried out pathetic things one buys for cooking.

I love dates, but rarely buy them. I can eat them by the handful. Nature's Candy is a very apt description.

Mmmm.... daaaaaates! (http://www.seaviewsales.com/varieties1.html)

Another lovely thing to do with dates, if you have time and inclination to tool around with them, is to pit them and stuff them with a whole almond or pistachio, or a blob of marzipan/almond paste.

[kjh01]

Oh man, if you can find fresh figs - spring for them as they are DIVINE. Especially drizzled with a bit of honey.