This Greek grazing board is filled with cheese, fruit, pitas, dips, nuts, marinated little fish, dolmades, and fresh vegetables. It can be an incredible huge meze platter for your next dinner party!
What Is a grazing board?
A grazing board is similar to a charcuterie [shahr-koo-tuh–ree]. What is that you will say. Well, a charcuterie board is an assortment of cured and smoked meats, beautifully arranged on a serving board. So you can say it is the meat version of a glorious cheeseboard.
I call this a Greek grazing board because it combines lots of the traditional Greek flavors loved by many. A little bit of everything is on this board. Fruit, nuts, cheese, dips and spreads, smoked fish and cured meats, fresh tomatoes, and cucumber, all perfectly paired together to make the perfect Greek appetizer platter.
It’s not difficult to prepare this board. I use simple, fresh ingredients like fruits and veggies, good Greek cheese and dips, a couple of traditional appetizer dishes, and cured meats. So it really takes little prep and just minutes to build!
Tips and tricks
Start with the dips and spreads
I always include my favorites. Small bowls with fig jam, delicious hummus, and an artichoke spread. Mixing sweet and savory flavors is key for a successful grazing board.
Place the bowls around the board. The number and size will depend on how large your board is. You can add honey with a honey dipper, mustard, and tzatziki.
Meat, cheese, and seafood
After the dips and spreads are in place, I like to add the meats and cheese. Usually, cubes of good feta cheese and a hard cheese like graviera or kasseri will do the trick, along with a set of serving knives.
A high-quality uncured salami is next. I also love to add sliced pastourma (or pastirma). It is not exclusively Greek, more like Turkish, but my grandma always offers it at her dinner table, and I like to follow her lead.
Another delicious meze is a fish marinated in oil, salt, and vinegar called gavros. I find it in the Greek market in Astoria. It is widespread in Greece to have a meze of little fish on the table. Gavros can also be fried if you are lucky to find it in the fish market. Alternatively, you can fry smelt.
Pita bread and crackers
Add cut-up pita bread and crackers to your board to enjoy the dips and spreads as well as pair with the cheese and meat.
I love pita chips for crunch, delicious homemade pita bread, and cute small orange biscotti for something sweet. It is all about building that perfect bite.
Fruit & nuts
Fill in gaps on your board with fresh fruit. Grapes and figs are my favorites, and both are in abundance in Greece. They also go well with cheese, so they are an obvious choice. Nuts like pistachios and walnuts are also my choice for crunch and flavor. Then, depending on the season, feel free to add apricots, peaches, apples, and pears.
You can also add dried fruits; they are easy and accessible year-round.
Traditional finger food and veggies
I also love adding mini cheese triangles and dolmadakia with a couple of wedges of lemon for brightness.
A bowl with sliced tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, and kalamata olives is next. All must items on the Greek table. Our family enjoys roasted red peppers with almost everything so I always add a small plate to my board.
Sprinkle some fresh herbs like basil for color and freshness all over, and you’re done!
You may also try
- Check out this delicious authentic souvlaki recipe with juicy, tender pork, homemade Greek pita bread, tzatziki sauce, and lots of aromatics.
- This roasted stuffed chicken has a tomato-feta filling with pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, lots of garlic, and herbs.
- This chicken and potatoes is a one-pan-everything dinner with sweet cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, and crispy yet tender potatoes.
Check all the pantry items a Greek kitchen wouldn’t go without.
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How To Make A Greek Grazing Board
Ingredients
- 8 oz Greek feta cheese
- 8 oz Kasseri cheese
- ½ lb stuffed grape leaves
- ½ lb Green Seedless Grapes
- ½ lb mission figs
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 cup pistachio nuts
- ½ lb roasted red peppers
- 2 cups pita chips
- 2 large pita bread cut
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- ½ English cucumber
- 1 cup hummus
- ½ cup fig spread
- ½ cup artichoke spread
- 12 phyllo cheese triangles
- 1 cup olive oil and almond biscotti
- 10 slices pastourma or pastirma
- 1 dry uncured salami
- ½ cup Kalamata olives pitted
- 8 oz anchovies in oil
Instructions
Start with the dips and spreads
- Arrange small bowls with fig jam, delicious hummus, and an artichoke spread. Mixing sweet and savory flavors is key for a successful grazing board.Place the bowls around the board.
Meat, cheese, and seafood
- After the dips and spreads are in place, add the meats and cheese. Cubes of feta cheese and kasseri along with a set of serving knives.
- Add the uncured salami and sliced pastourma (or pastirma) and a bowl with the marinated fish.
Pita bread and crackers
- Add cut-up pita bread, pita chips and the small orange biscotti all over the board close to the dips and spreads and the cheese and meat.
Traditional Greek appetizers
- Add the cheese triangles, a plate with roasted red peppers and dolmadakia next to a couple of wedges of lemon for brightness. Cut up the tomatoes and cucumber and place in a bowl with the kalamata olives. Season with sea salt and pepper, a pinch of oregano and a dash of olive oil and toss to combine.
Fruit & nuts
- Fill in gaps on your board with grapes and figs halves, pistachios and walnuts.
- Garnish board with some fresh herbs like basil for color and freshness and you’re done!
Notes
- You can add small containers of thyme honey with a honey dipper, dijon mustard, and tzatziki dip.
- Depending on the season, change the fruit to peaches, melon, apples, oranges, etc
- Feel free to add dried fruit like apricots, dates, and mission figs.
Nutrition
