We celebrated sweet Eli’s first birthday this month! We chose to do a simple crudités platter paired with a cheese and charcuterie platter and fruit platter (not pictured) for the kiddos! Pacific Health Foods recently brought on some exceptional artisan cheeses and meats we incorporated to the boards. It was so much fun! I enjoy making grazing platters for parties (adults or children) because it’s easy to grab a small plate and pick a few things to taste… instead of filling up on an entree or passed apps. It’s easy to prep ahead of time and we love utilizing local farmers market veggies and fruit plus some delicious cheeses!
What are your favorite dips?! To me, dips and sauces make everything more enjoyable. I also need color.. so for this crudités platter we used a cilantro avocado hummus, red bell pepper hummus and a dark green herb-y pesto.
I had a more “organic” approach to this board. I wanted it to be fun and easy to grab the veggies. It’s also about how you cut the veggies! Our local farmers market has AMAZING juicy sugar snap peas right now so I loaded up. I quickly blanched them to bring out that bright green color and to tenderize them just a tiny bit, leaving them with a soft crunch. I cut some of them on a bias to show the pea pod, just use a sharp knife and gently glide down one side of the center fold. I thought it was a pretty way to display these vibrant peas!
Now for the cheese and charcuterie… I could basically eat this every meal and be totally content. It’s all about the pairings you have to accompany it. I chose juicy green grapes, green brine-y olives, tart dried cherries, miniature cheese crackers (mainly for the kids), black sesame crackers, and some grain free crisps.
How to choose cheeses? I like to go for variety and nothing super funky to make sure that it’s approachable for everyone. You also don’t want to pick cheeses that “sweat” like manchego… I personally LOVE manchego but choose to use it shaved on a pasta or salad or when I’m at home and can put it out right before guests arrive. For these platters I chose a really mild brie, nutty gouda, a creamy cambazola, raw white cheddar, honey goat and a bleu. I think about texture, color and approachability when assembling these boards. I like to garnish with seasonal flowers and/or greens from the farmers market. My favorites from these platters were the colorful bachelor buttons and chamomile! They add a soft, colorful touch that was perfect for a family beach picnic. I’d love to hear how you like to entertain!
By Alyssa Potter
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