Celebrating Cheese in Summer: International Cheese
Air Date: 8/4/2008

The best salads and cheese boards for our summer entertaining get their start at the international cheese section of the supermarket.

Whether we're off to a romantic picnic complete with a bottle of wine and some crusty bread or we're hosting a patio party and need a crowd-pleaser to keep them satisfied till dinner is served, cheese always delivers!

Where do we start? Summer pairings call for lighter choices - in our wines and in our cheese, so we'll forgo the heavier Cheddars and provolone and save them for the cooler weather.

This time of year, look for:

All the varieties of French chèvre, which is goat cheese.

Creamy wheels and wedges of brie (to spread on crackers or pair with bunches of sweet, juicy grapes).

In rounds, slices and wedges there's mellow Gouda and Edam, direct from the Netherlands. These summer-friendly cheeses, often encased in rinds, match with our season's best melons, peaches, plums and berries.

Don't pass up water-packed fresh mozzarella, which is fast becoming the mainstay of the signature salad of summer, Caprese salad. (You know, layers of sliced fresh mozzarella and ruby red tomatoes with garden-fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It's summer at its best!)

That's just a sampling - there are so many more to consider, and right now at some pretty reasonable prices.