Nothing says ‘holiday season’ better than an indulgent feast. Well, maybe there is one thing: a feast that looks as good as it eats. Here’s a beginner’s guide to a grazing platter—the pièce de résistance at every ‘Gram-worthy dinner table this season. By The Theatric Platter
What is a grazing platter?
A grazing platter, much like a cheeseboard or a charcuterie board, is a feast for the eyes. There are no hard and fast rules to creating a grazing platter. It’s really up to your creative imagination. The key is to include a variety of bite-size foods, such as:
- Cheese
- Fruits like berries, oranges, grapes
- Vegetables like carrots, celery, radishes, cherry tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, endive leaves
- Olives
- Marinated artichoke hearts
- Marinated roasted red peppers
- Dried fruits, such as apricots, cranberries, cherries
- Nuts like almonds, cashews, pistachios, hazelnuts
- Crackers (choose different shapes and include different kinds, eg. gluten-free crackers, for guests on special diets)
- Crunchies like baked chickpeas, popcorn, pretzels, cheese sticks
- Dips like hummus and/or creamy dips
- Chocolate-covered dried fruit or nuts
- Pretty garnishes like kiwis, pomegranate, fresh figs, passion fruit, dragon fruit, starfruit, fresh herbs, edible flowers
- Condiments such as specialty mustards, honey, honeycomb, jams, or preserves
The options are endless!
How do you prepare the ingredients for a grazing platter?
Choose in-season fruits and vegetables as well as seasonal favourites for your platter. Be sure to include lots of colourful fruits (for example, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, regular and blood oranges, green and purple grapes, kiwi, and pomegranates), and vegetables (such as rainbow carrots, watermelon radishes, cherry tomatoes, various bell peppers, assorted coloured baby bell peppers, English or mini cucumbers). Visually, it’s nice having pops of colour on the board and spreading the items around the board.
Setting up a grazing platter:
Step 1: Start by laying cheeses on the platter.
Step 2: Place dips on the platter.
Step 3: Place some olives and crackers.
Step 4: Add fruits and vegetables to start filling in the empty spaces, making sure to split them up around the board for a prettier presentation.
Step 5: Fill in the rest of the spaces with favourites—like we did with fruits.
Step 6: Finish with pretty garnishes on the platter like rosemary, herbs or edible flowers.
The Theatric Platter is an eco-friendly boutique grazing company.
Related: Set Your Dinner Table Like An Expert This Festive Season
