So the weather here has finally warmed up and we are enjoying a bit of sunshine and wait for it…yes the ability to eat outside without shivering! It is my absolute favourite thing and one of those simple pleasures in life. I love everyone gathered around the table. I love the chat. I love that you can linger while the kids come and go.
On Friday it was warm and I had a late tea planned. The girls were all nipping in and out with friends from the street so I decided to lay out a platter for them late afternoon to graze on whilst I sat still and enjoyed a glass of wine. My girls love this kind of platter as they all get something they like and can create their own mini canapés and just feel a little bit fancy with very little effort from me.
My hubby made this board for me a couple of Christmases ago but any large chopping board would do…this one from Nkuku is gorgeous and holds a lot of food as we tested at my sister’s place!
So what to put on….I generally make sure I have a combination of colours…so crackers, salad, grapes, olives, tomatoes, cheese and figs. Make sure there is green salad to make all the food on your platter stand out and look both healthy and colourful.
In general I go for:
// 2 types of crackers
// ham, prosciutto and salami
// olives
// red grapes
// rocket
// plum tomatoes
// 3 types of cheese…I usually go for a mild cheddar, brie and one other flavoured cheese
// tomato relish and a chutney
// hummus
// figs (we always include figs!)
I find that this usually covers something that everyone loves which means you can have it as a family, use it as a starter for folk coming round, or have it for a date night in when the kids have gone to bed. It can be a quick ‘grab from the fridge’ kind of set up or as complex as you like. Sit down with a glass of wine and nibble while you chat…the perfect set up to good conversation!
Begin by laying out the crackers, usually three curves, along the board. Fill around this with rocket or a mixed salad. Pop any olives, hummus, relishes into tiny bowls or dishes you have…set them around the board and then it is just a matter of filling in the spaces and making it as pretty as you can.
It is as simple as that and I love how it can be adapted in so many ways!
Enjoy…let me know what you put on yours!
xx
