Summer Sharing Board - Perfect for Outdoor Entertaining
By Angela Patel
With summer just about here it’s most definitely time to spend less time in the kitchen and more time outdoors with friends and family. Sharing boards or platters are the perfect answer for easy snacking and fuss-free outdoor entertaining whether it’s a quick lunch for 2, a family supper or feeding a crowd. And if the weather does turn then just take the platter indoors - no mad panic to cover the barbie with someone still out in the rain to carry on cooking!
I love creating sharing boards and my favourite is a simple Mediterranean-style antipasti selection served up on my gorgeous Cole & Mason Large Acacia Wooden Chopping Board. Here’s a guide to what you need to create one to serve 3-4 people for lunch or to accompany afternoon or evening drinks…
Prep: 30 mins
Difficulty Easy
Method
- First make sure you have a large chopping board – Cole & Mason’s Large Acacia Wooden Chopping Board is ideal - plenty of room to arrange the ingredients and a sturdy handle for serving.
- Roughly break 100g feta cheese into small chunks and place a small bowl. Drizzle with a little virgin olive oil, a sprinkling of dried oregano and some chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley.
- Fill another small bowl with hummus (any flavour) and drizzle with a little chilli oil and sprinkle with smoked paprika.
- Skewer 8 drained mozzarella pearls each with a drained sundried tomato and a fresh basil leaf onto 8 wooden cocktail stick.
- Thinly slice 100g Manchego cheese and char-grill or toast 4 small flatbreads then slice.
- Arrange the bowls, skewers, bread and cheese on the board with 8-10 slices of chorizo, 4-5 ruffled slices of Parma ham and some on-the-vine cherry tomatoes. Garnish with sprigs of fresh basil and serve.
You may also like..
Cheese feast- arrange a selection of cheeses with crisp crackers, quince jelly, celery sticks, apple or pear slices and some fruity chutneys or pickles. Add a handful of walnuts and a small bowl of honey, if liked. Remember to allow the cheese to stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes (this is especially important for soft varieties).
Sweet treats – for a different summer dessert serve a board packed with fresh summer berries and chunks of tropical fruits such as kiwi, pineapple and mango. Add mini meringues, warmed waffles (cut into chunks), a bowl of softly whipped cream or Greek yogurt and a few small bowls with caramel, chocolate and fruit sauces. Add a large tub of good quality vanilla ice cream and simply let everyone build their ultimate ice cream sundae!
