Choose from a dazzling collection of thirty beautiful, well-crafted boards, whether you’re serving a group of two or ten.

Try Catalonian Summer with romesco, charred green onions, anchovy toasts, and Manchego for an intimate outdoor gathering.

Make a dinner of the Korean BBQ platter with bulgogi-style beef, lettuce cups, gochujang dipping sauce, and kimchi. Or go straight for the sweets with a dessert like S’mores Without a Campfire.

Plus, check out the party-size boards for your next holiday or celebration.

Start with the four principles for creating the right board for any occasion:

1. Looks matter
2. Stay flexible
3. Make it fun to eat
4. Embrace store-bought components

You’ll find that every meal becomes one worth sharing.

Boards, Platters, Plates: Recipes for Entertaining, Sharing, and Snacking is available at Amazon.com and Indigo.ca.

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Lebanese Lunch

Hummus + muhammara + labne + radishes + olive-oil marinated cheese + pita bread

Serves 4 to 6

This vegetarian board is ideal for a leisurely meal. All the dipping and swooping of the warm pita in the lemony hummus feels indulgent and satisfying. The muhammara, a thickened roasted pepper sauce, spread over the pita is wonderful when topped with the tangy, creamy marinated cheese.

Hummus

Makes about 1½ cups (370 g) 

1 garlic clove, minced

¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice

Fine sea salt

1 (15-ounce/425 g) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon tahini

2 to 3 tablespoons ice water 

Freshly ground black pepper

Extra-virgin olive oil, to drizzle

Za’atar, to sprinkle (optional but highly recommended)

 

Muhammara

Makes 1¼ cups (290 g) 

¼ cup (30 g) walnuts

1 (8-ounce/225g) jar of roasted peppers, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons dried plain breadcrumbs 

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses, plus more to drizzle

½ teaspoon smoked paprika (sweet or hot)

¼ teaspoon chile flakes

¼ teaspoon cumin seeds

¼ teaspoon fine 

sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

 

Store-bought components

Stack of pita bread, warmed, or whole-wheat sesame crackers

Labne or Greek yogurt (not pictured)

Radishes, sliced or cut into wedges for dipping

Sheep or goat cheese marinated in olive oil, preferably Meredith Dairy or Laura Chenel

Make the hummus: In a food processor, combine the garlic, lemon juice, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Let rest for at least 5 minutes so the flavor of the garlic mellows. Add the chickpeas and tahini and blend to a smooth paste. While the machine is spinning, drizzle in 2 tablespoons of ice water. Stop the machine, scrape down the sides, and taste the hummus. Season with a little more salt and pepper. If you’d like it to be looser, mix in another 1 tablespoon of ice water. Blend until super creamy. Spoon the hummus into a small serving bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with za’atar, if using.

Make the muhammara: Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until fragrant and browned in some places, about 6 minutes. Clean the food processor and use it to blend the toasted walnuts and all the other muhammara ingredients until completely smooth. Taste and season with more salt and black pepper plus a little extra chile flakes, if you’d like it to be spicier. Transfer to another small serving bowl and drizzle with pomegranate molasses.

Assemble: Serve the pita (whole or cut into wedges) on the board alongside the bowls of hummus and muhammara. Spoon some labne into another small bowl and season with a pinch of salt and several grinds of pepper. Place the radishes and marinated cheese on the board as well.

Excerpted from Boards, Platters, Plates by Maria Zizka (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2021.