Grazing tables. They're the IN thing right now. If you would like to know how to easily attempt a near-perfect grazing table at your next party, read on.
The key is to keep things simple but impressive when it comes to the food you serve! And include some homemade goodies to add that personal touch. Below are some tips on how and what to include on your perfect grazing table... most importantly, be sure to enjoy putting the table together as it really can be a piece of art!
TOP THREE TIPS
1. It's all in the presentation
Use flowers. Lots and lots of fresh flowers! And greenery. I love to use a couple of floral displays in the middle of the table to add height and interest. And ensure the height of things is continued at both ends of the table. This can be achieved by using tiered cake stands, stacking platters on top of wooden boards or rustic boxes or simply serving breadsticks in mason jars as opposed to flat on a platter. Think colour. Colour in flowers, fruits, platters and dishes you may choose to serve the food on. Use edible flowers if you wish though I am personally one to stick to flowers in a vase or scattered on the table.Perfection is not key. Grazing tables are meant to look artful, successfully inviting your guests to eat with their eyes! So avoid placing all the cheeses together, all the crackers together, all the fruits together. You are after the 'effortless scattering of food' look!
2. Make the food accessible.
Achieve this by making sure the food is spread around evenly. Start placing your serveware in the middle of the table and work your way out. I like to use 3 platters, place one in the middle in between 2 vases of beautiful fresh flowers. And place a large platter at each end of the table for balance. This is where you will first place your cheeses. I include 3 cheeses in each platter. Follow this off with a scatter of various crackers, bread, cold meats and your homemade delicacies. Tiered cake stands are perfect for these! Finally, start filling in the gaps with your fruits, nuts, chocolate! Be sure to add these gap fillers everywhere - on each platter as well as the tiered cake stands you have used. This brings everything together and really is the key to a beautifully presented grazing table.
Whatever your theme, incorporate that in. For my most recent graze, I placed dinosaurs across the table. There were dinosaurs on platters, dinosaurs dipping into dips, dinosaurs on top of cheese, dinosaurs nibbling on crackers... you get the idea. And it was so cute! And fun! This will work with any theme if you let your creative mind take over. If you need some help here, message me! I'm more than happy to give you some ideas - I love this kind of stuff!
WHAT TO SERVE AT YOUR GRAZE
This is a quick list of what you can potentially serve on your table but by no means is it the be all and end all. Always work in groups of 3. So we're talking about 3 different types of cheese, 3 different types of crackers, berries, nuts etc. This brings a sense of balance to the table! And don't forget texture. So smooth as well as coarse as well as crunchy.
CHEESEI like to serve a soft, semi-hard and mould cheese variety. What is a soft cheese? Simply brie or camembert. Semi-hard cheeses are the likes of Gouda, Edam, Gruyere. I normally serve a blue cheese for my mould variety however if you are not a fan of blue then hard cheeses are a great alternative. So Pecorino, Grana Padano or Aged Cheddar.
CRACKERS AND BREAD
Choose plain crackers if you can as they allow the cheeses to really shine. Be sure to use a variety of crackers to bring that bit of texture to your table also. I like to always include some Lavosh and if you're serving bread, remember to have some olive oil for dipping!
DIPS
A couple of dips to have with crackers is great. Choose at least 1 colourful dip to add a pop of colour to the table. Pink beetroot dip is perfect and so tasty! Serve the dips in pretty bowls to add some interest.
COLD MEATS
Italian, Spanish, English, Dutch... who knew there is so much variety when it comes to the meat selection for your graze!? Don't feel like you can't include hams or turkey on your table - these are always popular. And who doesn't like Prosciutto? I like to include a label on the meats, allowing your guests to avoid the spicy salami if they wish. Makes for a more pleasant experience!
FRUITS
Berries are perfect for a grazing table as they add a pop of colour and are great at filling in the gaps. For a decadent treat, why not serve some strawberries dipped in chocolate. Be sure to leave some of the red showing on the strawberry though for the prettiness. Mmm, I'm salivating! If berries aren't in season, work with whatever fruit is. Thinly slicing apples and pears, carving citrus, grapes on the vine.. these all still work. I find dried fruits also add a nice element to the table.
DRIED NUTS
Include 3 nuts of your choice. Cashew, pistachio and almond are always great choices. But be sure to check none of your guests have a nut allergy before including nuts on the grazing table.
ADDITIONAL DELICIOUS EXTRAS
Olives are always a winner. Serve them in bowls to add some height. And chocolate! I always include delicious Scorched Almonds as a decadent space filler, my favourite and always a crowd pleaser.
MY FINAL COMMENTS