5 Tips To Building a Beautiful Nourishing Board!
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The Holiday Season is in full swing and that means lots of parties! Whether you’re hosting a party, celebrating something or just looking for munchies on the dock on a warm summer night- a board is always a good idea! It reminds me of breakfast, you can basically get away with eating anything when it’s plated onto a piece of wood. From smoked salmon to fresh figs to a deliciously stinky cheese, all bets are off with a board and it can be left to your own creativity and discretion as to what you want to create!
Often though, with this much flexibility it can make it even harder to make a decision! For this reason I have created a simple list of what I consider when building my board. Both aesthetic and flavour are equally as important to me and so here is my list of how to build that beautifully balanced board!
Textures: Crunchy, crispy, soft and chewy. You want to be sure to hit all the markers when it comes to diversifying the texture. By adding a variety of crackers, vegetables, cheeses, dips and nuts you can be sure to please all the indulgers!
Colour: Opt for vegetables that provide a pop of colour like heirloom carrots cut vertically to show off their gorgeous jewel tones. Radishes are also a beautiful addition. By chopping these in thin slices you can roll into florets or simply layer between vegetables and on dips. Remember anything goes so try those weird looking vegetables at the market they may suprise you and your guests. Let’s be real anything tastes good dipped in Hummus ;)
Dishes: Don’t settle for just the board add depth with different dishes I love to collect little bowls at thrift stores and while travelling. This way you can find just the right complement to your dips. By adding in dishes of various sizes it helps prevent leakage from items like olives and red onions. I also love the way it looks to have various shapes and colors all seamlessly intertwined on platters. Whether you plan your board on a giant butchers block or a simple marble platter, the depth will create the most beautiful piece of art!
Palette: Consider all aspects to the flavour palette, salty, sweet, sour, umami. By incorporating a variety of flavour palettes you can be sure to hit all the notes needed for a unique grazing platter experience. I look to include a variety of taste in each bite such as a bitter endive for scooping a sweeter beet hummus. It can be so much more than meats, cheese and typical veggies!
Balance: Yes we all love a good amount of cheese but also consider that these are ‘grazing boards and so people often want to have a few healthier alternatives such as crunchy veg for dipping, satiating olives and
Here are a few of my favourite additions to a board; Sliced Kohlrabi, Endive Boats, Pickled anything, bitter chocolate(who says chocolate should be considered at dessert- when it’s a good dark its the perfect bitter complement).
Happy grazing!