Grazing Board -Mediterranean Style
Perfect for feeding a crowd! A good mezze platter or grazing board is filled with veggies, pita, assorted spreads and dips and offers a little something for everyone! Often considered an appetizer, in most of the eastern Mediterranean it can become the entire meal!
Traditionally, on a mezze platter raw and roasted vegetables rule, but you can BE BRAVE and add cured or smoked meats, cheeses, and combine it with the more traditional charcuterie approach. Just don’t forget the warm pita, crostini, crackers or other breads for dipping and scooping!
You can often prepare each component separately and in advance so that all you have to do when your guests are arriving is artfully arrange them on a platter or board.
Designed for long visits filled with deep conversation and lots of laughter, a gathering is not complete without mezze!
Mezze Platter
Ingredients
(* indicates my preferred ingredients – see notes for alternatives)
Roasted Artichokes
2 jars (14 oz each) artichoke hearts, drained
2 tablespoons O&V Unflavored EVOO *
Zest from half a lemon
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
Grilled Peppers
½ lb baby peppers, halved and deseeded
1 tablespoon O&V Garlic EVOO *
1 teaspoon O&V Jerez Sherry vinegar *
½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper
Tzatziki Dip
¾ cup sour cream or whole milk plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon O&V Tzatziki dip mix *
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill or mint
1-2 tablespoons O&V Lemon EVOO *
Smoky Tomatoes
1-pint grape tomatoes
2 tablespoons O&V Smoky Garlic oil *
1 tablespoon O&V Date Bacon Vinegar *
1 teaspoon O&V Smoky BBQ mix *
Fresh Basil or Tarragon leaves for garnish
Marinated Feta
12 oz firm feta, cut into cubes
1/3 cup O&V Tuscan herb EVOO or Rosemary EVOO *
3-4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 small red chili, thinly sliced
1 sprig rosemary, leaves stripped off the woody stem
1 lemon, zested in strips and then juiced
Kosher salt
Whipped Feta Dip (recipe on ChefVeera.com)
Zhoug (recipe on ChefVeera.com)
Pita bread brushed with O&V Unflavored EVOO & sprinkled with O&V Smoked Paprika *
Castelvetrano Olives *
Olive Bruschetta *
Preparation
Roasted Artichokes
Heat oven to 425F. Drain the artichokes, cut in half and pat dry. Pour oil into a small rimmed baking sheet. Place the artichoke hearts cut side down in the oil and roast on the bottom rack of the oven until they turn golden brown (about 10-14 minutes). Remove from the oven, sprinkle salt, pepper, thyme and grated zest over the artichokes. Toss and serve
Grilled Peppers
Heat the grill to medium high. In a mixing bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Add the peppers and toss well to coat. Then place the peppers on the grill and turn once until charred on all sides (about 2-4 minutes per side). Return to the bowl and toss with remaining oil and vinegar combination
Tzatziki Dip
Place the Tzatziki dip mix in a bowl and add the lemon juice. Let it sit for 5 minutes (add a sprinkle of water if the herbs still look dry). Add the sour cream/yogurt and mix well. Fold in the fresh herbs and place in serving bowl. Drizzle well with Lemon EVOO.
Smoky Tomatoes
Preheat the oven to 425F. Combine the smoky oil and smoky BBQ mix in a bowl. Add the tomatoes and toss. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and place in the middle rack of the oven. Roast till tomatoes start to burst and get juicy (about 15-20 minutes). Remove from the oven, place in serving bowl, drizzle with Date Bacon vinegar and sprinkle with fresh basil or tarragon leaves.
Marinated Feta
Arrange the feta cubes in a shallow bowl. In a small skillet warm the Tuscan herb EVOO along with the sliced garlic, red chili, lemon zest and rosemary on low stirring occasionally until the garlic becomes aromatic and turns golden brown. Then remove from the heat and add in one tablespoon lemon juice. Combine and pour the oil mixture over the feta pieces. Allow to marinade a minimum of 10 minutes to 30 minutes. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
Serving
Arrange all the components directly on a platter or place individual items in small bowls and then on a board. Serve with pita bread brushed with EVOO and sprinkled with paprika (you can warm them in the oven for 1-2 minutes at 350F if you wish) crackers, cucumber spears, Castelvetrano and Kalamata olives and Olive bruschetta.
Serves 6-8
Active time: 45 minutes Total Time: 90 minutes
Notes
* Each of the oils, vinegars or seasoning mixes brings their own unique flavor to these grazing board components. If you are looking for appropriate substitutions, you can email me directly at [email protected] and I can provide some alternative options.
All highlighted products are available at Oil & Vinegar stores.
Categories: Entrée, Easy Entertaining, Appetizer Platter, Mezze Board, Vegetarian Grazing Board, Cheese Board 2.0, Small Plates Board, Mediterranean Eating, Roasted Artichokes, Grilled Baby Peppers, Marinated Feta, Smoky Roasted Tomatoes, Tzatziki Dip, Whipped Feta Dip, Zhoug, Pita, Summer Snacking, Tuscan Herb EVOO, Rosemary EVOO, Smokey BBQ Rub, Smoky Garlic Oil, Date Bacon Vinegar, Lemon EVOO, Jerez Sherry Vinegar
