The Healing Table
a graze board tutorial for the season of cheese
This is the time of year I spend an absurd amount of time sourcing food for people to nibble on while they chat at holiday events. I call it my “Midwest Mom Mode,” in honor of the long line of women I hail from who can whip out food for 100 without batting an eye.
My foray into graze board concoctions was somewhat accidental, spurred on by a random Hunger Games-themed birthday party where we fashioned the food spread to resemble the Capitol. A bit dystopian, I know. After that, I kept creating toward my vision of utopia, and the boards blossomed into parties and events and a few really big spreads a year.
Things I’ve learned: No one is mad when they walk into a table laden with a feast. If you’re throwing a party where you want people to mix and mingle, try one. It becomes the entertainment and keeps the event flowing. I’m convinced that it would help all the warring world leaders to sit down together and graze, but no one has taken me up on that idea. So instead, you get my great ideas. May they inspire you to create your own healing table.
A note: Sometimes the healing choice is to declare, “We’re ordering pizza for Christmas.” If this is not the year for opulent tables, please enjoy scrolling through the pretty pictures while you wait for your pizza.
Tips and Tricks:
Snuggle it up! You want everything close together in artful little piles. Kids are intuitively better at this than adults. Abandon the rules! The less space there is between the food, the better it looks.
Dip, baby, dip: Have a few dips that pair well with the nibbles on the board. This time of year, one of my go-to dips is Honey-Whipped Goat Cheese.
The recipe-ish: (You can see how exact of a person I am—I apologize to all my precise people.)
1 log of goat cheese (12-16 oz) softened
Heavy whipping cream
Honey
Flaky sea salt
Use a mixer to whip the goat cheese, gradually adding whipping cream until light and fluffy and you want to scoop it onto a cracker.
When almost whipped, add honey and a sprinkle of sea salt. Taste until it’s your desired level of sweetness.
Another good option for a holiday board: Goat Cheese with Dates and Candied Bacon
Brown craft paper: Put down brown craft paper or another paper first. This helps protect your table and contain the food. I layer cutting boards and cake stands on top of the paper. At the end, you can fold up the paper with all the crumbs, making clean up much easier.
Herbs: One of the funniest comments someone’s ever said about the herbs I use—“Oh, that’s how you make it sexy.” Indeed. Nothing is sexier than vast amounts of herbs. I’ll let you decide if I am joking. Tuck sprigs of herbs around the piles at the end to fill it in—this adds food-safe greenery and makes it look finished. Italian parsley and mint will hold up best. This time of year, rosemary, thyme and sage add a cozy vibe. Also pomegranates! Crack them open and lay them around, and they’ll bring a bit o’ lusciousness.
Florals: If you are going to add florals, do small jars. These tuck into the food in a more seamless way. Don’t forget a few candles if you’re making it fancy, just watch that you don’t burn the rosemary.
Shopping:
I go for a combination of sweet and salty, fruits and veggies, crackers, breads, meats, cheeses and the aforementioned dips. The beauty is you can buy what you like and everything keeps if you don’t use it.
Costco recommendations: Everything Bagel Chips, Meredith Dairy Marinated Goat Cheese, Kerrygold Reserve Cheddar, Rustic Bakery Artisan Crisps, and the Macarons in the refrigerator section are great this time of year
Trader Joe’s recommendations: Rosemary Marcona almonds, Unexpected Cheddar, Fig Butter, Mini Mint Stars, Sweet and Spicy Pecans, Persimmons, Fig and Olive Crisps and the new Cranberry Orange dip has been a hit
January/Veggie-forward board idea:
If you feel your arteries clogging with the amount of cheese and salami you have consumed, the board below leans more Middle Eastern inspired. I’ve found it to be a hit in January too, when people want a reason to leave the house and need some bright flavors.
Think lots of fruit and veggies, pickled onions, hummus, pita, labneh (a thick yogurt dip) with lemon zest, olive oil, and za’atar, and a bit of marinated feta, because, let’s be reasonable, we need some cheese for a feast. Fig jam pairs nicely with these flavors, as does all the winter citrus. Sexy herbs: parsley, mint, and dill. Try a spritzer with mostly sparkling water, a little splash of juice, and some of that citrus for a lighter drink for this party.
Happy December, friends. May you gather around at least one healing table this season.
What’s on your dream table? I’d love to hear:
Send me pictures of your boards—connect with me on Instagram: @jackieknapp_
Awe-inspiring, Jackie! I think I'll try an Aldi version for the New Year. Wish me luck!
So gorgeous. Love the sexy herbs haha. And love you.