Eat Well

By Dylan Bailey, MS

 

 

As the summer months hit, formal entertaining may begin to take a back seat to more impromptu meetings among friends and family. What do you do when a few early morning texts in your group chat with friends about “getting together” suddenly become a 6:00 p.m. reality, and you’re hosting? 

Luckily, there’s a new way to dine and entertain that takes almost no time to prepare and can even serve as the main course in some settings: Food boards! This more casual and communal way of dining is all the rage this year.

Known by some as spread-style dining, this movement offers you and your guests the opportunity to mix and match flavors from pre-arranged but thoughtfully curated goodies. Food boards look and taste the part too, combining various textures, colors and food groups for unique pairings that are sure to please any guest.

When designing your board, think about savory, sweet, salty and tangy flavor profiles. A wide array of food categories can be used, like spreads (e.g. hummus), pre-made topped toasts (e.g. crostini) and cured goods, including vegetables, meats and artisanal cheeses. It also helps to pick a theme to center your board around before you build it. For example, you could go Mediterranean with hummus [read on for a Carrot and Turmeric Hummus recipe!], olives, toasted pita bread, raw almonds, fig jam and 2-3 goat’s milk cheeses.

Let’s explore these food board flavor profiles a bit more. For stress-free food board additions that are perfect family and friends, look for inspiration from Libby’s® Recipe Box

Here’s how to get started:

• Select some of our favorites and brainstorm which flavors and textures may play well together.
• If you want to design with health in mind, here are some food board hacks:
  • Savory – Items Included: Cheese, bread, dips and spreads, crostini
    • To keep serving sizes of cheeses in check, think dominoes and dice. Visualize 2 domino pieces for about 100 calories of soft cheese, and 4 dice for a little over 100 calories of hard cheese. Include cheese labels that let guests know what cheese is which, and put serving size recommendations there, too.
  • Sweet – Items Included: Fruits, jams, jellies
    • Go with whole fruits when possible, canned included! Apricots, peaches and pears are common cheese pairings and using canned versions can help cut down on prep time.
  • Salty & Tangy – Items Included: Nuts, olives, pickled vegetables, cured meats, crackers
    • Pick lower-sodium roasted nuts and swap cured meats for “hint of salt” whole-grain crackers with a savory dip if you’re watching sodium. You can also try making your own pickled vegetables (see below for recipe)! 

Consider adding a little extra flavor and vegetables to your board with these delicious recipes: 

Carrot and Turmeric Hummus using Libby’s® Sliced Carrots

Did you know: The biggest carrot statue in the world is 30 feet high? And, it’s located in New Zealand.

Peas and Ricotta Crostini using Libby’s® Sweet Peas Pouch

Did you know: The Father of Modern Genetics, Gregor Mendel, conducted his experiments and research studies using peas.

Easy Pickled Beets using Libby’s® Sliced Beets

Did you know: Thanks to betalain, a compound naturally found in beets, beets have been shown to support your body’s natural detoxification process.