Checkerboard Cheese and Herbs

# What You'll Need:

→ Cheeses

01 - 5.3 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced

02 - 5.3 oz ricotta cheese

03 - 5.3 oz feta cheese, sliced

→ Herb Mixtures

04 - 1 cup fresh basil leaves

05 - 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley

06 - 2 tbsp chives, chopped

07 - 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

08 - 1 small garlic clove

09 - 1 tsp lemon zest

10 - Salt and pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

11 - Microgreens or edible flowers (optional)

12 - Freshly ground black pepper

# Directions:

01 - Combine basil, parsley, chives, olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a food processor and blend until smooth and vibrant green. Adjust seasoning to taste.

02 - Line a square or rectangular serving tray with parchment paper for easy removal.

03 - Cut mozzarella and feta into even square pieces of equal size using a ruler or square cutter to ensure precision.

04 - Spread or pipe ricotta cheese into even squares matching the size of the sliced cheeses using an offset spatula or piping bag.

05 - Arrange the cheese squares and herb paste alternately in a checkerboard pattern on the tray, ensuring clean edges between each square.

06 - Decorate with microgreens, edible flowers, or freshly ground black pepper as desired. Chill for 10 to 15 minutes before serving for optimal presentation.

# Expert Advice:

01 -

It looks like you spent all day on it, but takes less time than you'd expect.
You can prep it ahead and it only gets more beautiful as it chills.
It's the kind of thing that makes people think you're fancy, even if you're not.

02 -

All your pieces need to be roughly the same size or the whole thing starts looking sloppy—precision here is your friend.
The herb paste will oxidize and lose its brilliant color if you make it too far ahead, so do this no more than an hour before you want to serve it.

03 -