Holiday Cheese Board with Quince Paste

To a medium pot, add the quince wedges and lemon peel, then cover with enough water to just about cover the quince wedges. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to medium low and let the quince cook for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until the quince is fork-tender.

Drain the excess water from the pot before using an immersion blender or food processor to purée the quince and lemon peel together. Return the mixture back into the pot if you used a food processor.

You should end up with about 1 heaping cup of purée, therefore, add 1 cup of granulated sugar to the purée as well as 2 to 3 tsp of lemon juice, depending on how small your lemon is.

Cook this mixture together over low heat for about 2 hours, or until the quince has developed an orange color and is very thick in consistency. It should clump together and not flow off your spoon like a jam would.

Line a small square pan or round pan with a sheet of parchment paper. How small or large your pan is will determine the height of your quince (see notes at end). Transfer the quince paste into the prepared pan and bake your quince at 120°F for 1 hour to allow the paste to set.

Afterwards, cover the paste with a sheet of plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve on cheeseboard, use a sharp knife to slice off the very edges of the paste to ensure a perfectly neat block of paste sans any of the dried up edges.

To prepare the cheese board, fan our your mixed greens on various parts of the board to act as “coasters” for the cheeses and quince paste. Place the festive items like the pumpkin, persimmon, and cinnamon whisk off to the corners of the board. Place the cheeses near the center of the board, and the crackers along the perimeter. Set the quince paste off to one side with space for a sharp knife to be used with the paste. Scatter pecans in empty spaces on the board for a finishing touch.