St. Patrick's Day Grazing Board

ST. PATRICK'S DAY GRAZING BOARD

3/17/2020

Treat your family and friends to a fun and relaxing St. Patrick’s Day Grazing Board, filled with all of your favorite Irish cheeses & meats and other green nibbles. A “Pot of Gold” isn’t the only treasure on our St. Patrick’s Day appetizer platter! Add a selection of chilled Irish Beer, and we’re ready to party! Perfect for a quiet evening or large gathering – when Irish tummies are happy, Irish eyes are smiling!

St. Patrick's Day Grazing Board

When I think of St. Patrick's Day celebrations, I think of parades, parties and pubs, with family and friends gathering in a casual, relaxed setting to laugh and just have some fun.

Food that is Irish, unfussy, comforting, rustic, and maybe even quirky is typically involved. A grazing board is the perfect fit, because you can choose tasty Irish-themed foods and serve them in a way that people can help themselves and come back for more. The absolute easiest way to entertain!

So easy to customize with your favorite cheeses, meats, spreads and dips, fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh garnishes and spicy mustard, crackers and fresh rye bread, and always some sweet treats, nuts and chocolates.

If your platter isn't large enough, you can always add more platters or boards to hold all of your goodies. It's just fun to make it your own and see the fun everyone has picking their favorites and trying new things! Make it little or make it big, it will be a huge hit with everyone!

St. Patrick's Day Grazing Board

ST. PATRICK'S DAY GRAZING BOARD

St. Patrick's Day Grazing Board

INGREDIENTS:
The secret of a great charcuterie board is to find fresh flavors and textures that work for you and your family and friends. Mix and match your favorite cheeses, meats, fruits, nuts and condiments for something wonderful and unique every time! For a great Irish Grazing Board, these are my recommendations – pick and choose your favorites!

CHEESE: a selection of 3 or 4 is the way to go. One cheese should be soft and creamy; another firm and aged, another flavorful, and another that is seasonal and different. I used:

Mild & Creamy: Pesto Gouda, Cream Cheese with Onion & Chives
Aged Favorites: Cahill’s Ireland White Cheddar Cheese with Chives, Kerry Gold Dubliner Irish Cheddar, Kerrygold Swiss Cheese, Gaelic Swiss Cheese, Cashel Blue Cheese (fresh from Tipperary)
Seasonal & Different: Garden Vegetable & Sweet Basil Cheese

MEAT: a selection of 2 or 3 Italian sliced deli-meats is the magic number. Something spicy, something peppery, and something traditional. I used our favorites:

Sliced Corned Beef
Genoa Salame Panino (thin sliced mozzarella rolled with peppered salame)
Sliced Ham
Irish Whiskey & Brown Sugar Glazed Bacon

SPREADABLES: a selection of 1 or 2 gives you a nice balance. Something with an edge – and another that is a simple surprise. On the side I included:

Fresh Spinach Dip
Spinach & Artichoke Hummus
Basil Pesto Hummus

NUTS & CHOCOLATES: you can’t go wrong here at all with a selection of 3. Something simple and roasted, another spicy, and something sweet – the perfect trifecta of favorites. I used our favorite Irish sweet treats:

Irish Toffee
Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Mint Squares
Frango Dark Chocolate Mints
Dove Dark Chocolate & Mint Swirls
Caramel Rolos
M&M Mint Candies
Pistachios

SWEET TREATS: In addition to chocolate and nuts, you can’t go wrong here at all with a selection of 2 or 3. Something simple, seasonal and fun!

St. Patrick’s Day decorated Sugar Cookies
St. Patrick’s Day decorated Cupcakes
Chocolate Gold Coins
Matcha Pocky Sticks (green tea & cream covered biscuit sticks)
Green Rock Crystal Candy Sticks (the green are watermelon flavored)

FRUITS & VEGETABLES: a selection of seasonal green fruit and traditional vegies, both fresh and dried, gives you a nice balance and a burst of color. I used:

Fresh or Dried Kiwi
Seedless Green & Red Grapes
Roasted & Salted Green Peas
Wasabi Peas
Fresh Sugar Snap Peas
English Cucumber Slices
Green Pepper Slices
Dried Apricots
Fresh Figs

GARNISHES & CONDIMENTS: usually a simple selection of 2 or 3 rounds everything out – something sweet and something savory. I kept this board simple and garnished with:

Fresh Rosemary, which smells SO GOOD!
Baby Dill or Sweet Pickles
Green Olives
Stone Ground Mustard for some spicy flavor

CRACKERS & BREAD: a selection of 2 or 3 is the perfect amount – if you don’t have room on your platter, you can place them in a basket next to your board. I used our favorites:

Trader Joe’s 3 Seed Sweet Potato Crackers
Trader Joe’s Cheddar Asiago Cheese Sticks
Trader Joe’s Everything Crackers
Puff Pastry Shamrocks
Sundried Tomato & Basil Flatbread
Savory Onion Crackers
Rye Marble Bread
Pot of Gold – Cheddar Cheese Puff Balls
Pretzels (I think it’s an unwritten rule to serve pretzels with beer…soft pretzel bites are wonderful dunked in cheddar cheese sauce!)

FAVORITE IRISH BEERS & WINES: Pick a few pints of your favorites - there is no shortage of wonderful Irish beer! Guinness, Harp Lager, Killian’s Irish Red, Conway’s Irish Ale – or perhaps an Irish Whiskey is more your thing!

HOW I MAKE THIS:

Choose a nice solid cutting board or wooden serving tray to create your platter. Your guests will be cutting cheese directly on the board so be sure to use something sturdy. You can always add additional platters if you are preparing this for a crowd!
Assemble your favorites and place on serving board, starting with the cheese and meats.
Don’t slice up the cheese prior to serving – put out some simple cheese knives and let everyone cut off a hunk of their favorite, or a small taste of something new.
Purchase sliced meats for easy serving. I made our favorite Maple Irish Whiskey Candied Bacon.
Place your spreadables in small crocks to contain them on your board.
Wash and pat the fresh fruit dry; add fresh and dried fruits for color. If you’re serving fresh apple slices, soak them in Sprite or Seven-Up and pat dry so that they don’t turn brown.
If you serve olives or pickles, place them in tiny bowls so that they don’t roll around and flavor other platter ingredients.
If you don’t have enough room on your platter, place your crackers and bread selection in a basket.
Garnish with lots of fresh green - fresh Rosemary, kale or curly butter lettuce – the perfect garnish for an Irish Charcuterie Board!
Add cheese knives, small tongs and small spoons next to the board along with appetizer plates and napkins.
Start with small amounts of each item – you can always refresh your platter as time goes by!

YIELD: Perfect for two or more!

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