Late Summer Grazing: A Cheeseboard Worth Cancelling Dinner For

If summer is a long, lazy dinner party, late summer is that perfect golden hour when the cocktails are flowing, the sun is setting just right, and you’re grabbing one more bite before fall politely taps on the door. And what better way to toast the season than with a cheeseboard that’s basically edible poetry?

This Late Summer Cheeseboard is stacked with everything I love about this time of year: figs, marinated zucchini, juicy nectarines and peaches, fresh berries, and preserved lemons for a little zippy surprise. Add in the classics—cheeses galore, marinated olives, grainy mustard, honey, nuts, crackers, breadsticks, and a sliced baguette—and you’ve got the kind of spread that makes you want to cancel dinner and just graze until the stars come out.

The Stars of the Show

Prosciutto-Wrapped Figs

I look forward to figs all year long. They’re not too sweet, gorgeously jammy inside, and absolutely dreamy when you swaddle them in salty prosciutto. It’s the ultimate salty-sweet bite.

Marinated Zucchini

Garden overflow? Meet your solution. Slowly sauté zucchini in olive oil and garlic, splash with red wine vinegar, and finish with fresh basil. Let it marinate in all that garlicky-herby goodness, then pile it onto bread with cheese.

Stone Fruit & Berries

Nectarines, peaches, blackberries, cherries, grapes… they’re juicy, messy, and 100% essential. Summer fruit is basically free decoration—your board will look like a Renaissance painting without even trying.

Preserved Lemons & Antipasto Goodies

This is where you can get playful. I love adding preserved lemons, peppadew peppers, marinated olives, or anything pickled. It keeps bites bright and unexpected, plus it balances out all the creamy cheese action.

The Cheese Lineup

Every great cheeseboard needs variety: something soft, something hard, something funky, and something fun. Here’s what I like to include:

• Triple-Crème Brie – buttery, indulgent, melt-on-your-tongue goodness

  Cowgirl Creamery Mt. Tam (California)

  Jasper Hill Farm Harbison (Vermont — spruce-bark wrapped, lush and gooey)

• Manchego – nutty, firm, and a total crowd-pleaser.

  Finca Sierra La Solana “1605” (Spain – aged artisan Manchego)

  Don Juan

• Merlot-Soaked Parmesan – yes, it tastes as good as it sounds (BelGioioso makes a great one).

  Satori Reserve Merlot Bellavitano (Wisconsin — small family-run creamery)

• Smoked Blue Cheese – for the bold eaters (try Rogue Creamery’s Smokey Blue).

  Rogue Creamery Smokey Blue (Oregon — still small, sustainable-focused)

  Carr Valley Glacier Wildfire Blue (Wisconsin – small but bold, peppery blue)

• Garlic & Herb Goat Cheese – creamy, tangy, and ready for smearing.

  Cypress Grove Purple Haze (California — goat cheese with fennel pollen & lavender, herby twist)

• Wensleydale with Cranberries – because late summer deserves a little sparkle.

  Wensleydale Creamery (Hawes) (UK)

• Sharp Cheddar – Cabot or Tillamook never fail.

  Shelburne Farms 2-Year Cheddar (Vermont)

  Hook’s 5-Year Cheddar (Wisconsin — tiny creamery, big flavor)

• Mozzarella or Burrata – milky, fresh, and best with a drizzle of honey.

  Maplebrook Farm Mozzarella (Vermont)

  Di Stefano Burrata (California — still family-owned, small batch)

Pro tip: always mix in local cheeses from your farmers’ market if you can. They give your board a sense of place (and usually taste incredible).

Don’t Forget the Extras

• Honey (bonus points for honeycomb!)

• Grainy Mustard or Fig Jam

• Toasty Nuts – almonds, walnuts, or candied pecans

• Cured Meats – prosciutto, soppressata, or Genoa salami (Creminelli and Volpi are solid picks)

• Crunch Factor – crackers, breadsticks, and baguette slices

Why I Love a Late Summer Board

Cheeseboards are more than just appetizers—they’re edible time capsules. Every season has its own flavors, and this one tastes like the end of pool days, the first chill in the evening air, and the excitement of fall creeping in. It’s casual, colorful, and totally customizable. And honestly? It might be the most fun way to eat dinner without really eating dinner.

So pour yourself a glass of crisp white wine (or a fizzy cider if you’re already in a fall mood), pile up a plate, and toast to late summer—because this spread is basically the season on a board.