Creating a Spring Appetizer Board

Spring is finally here, and that means more gatherings are around the corner - Easter, Mother's Day, Graduation, parties on the patio, and dinner al fresco... For just about any get-together, we think a "grazing board" is the way to go. The inspiration for this Spring Appetizer Board came from a new book arrival, Platters and Boards. This "board" is a fun combination of veggies, meat, cheeses, hummus, pickled grapes and deviled eggs (two ways). This set up is perfect for an Easter crowd, but we wouldn't say no to deviled eggs year 'round. Check out some of the details below. The first recipe from the book that we tried was for mini cheeseballs. These turned out to be a lovely combination of cream cheese, white cheddar and gruyere rolled in crushed pistachios and herbs. These cheeseballs will definitely make the party food rotation in the future. Nothing beats a good veggie dip, and this book's Pink Hummus recipe is super easy and perfectly PINK! It gets its color from the addition of pickled beet juice, which we also used to make the pickled deviled eggs. Another recipe we tried in the book is for the rose pickled grapes. It wasn't our favorite, but the flavors were interesting. Local food finding tip: If you need to find culinary grade rose petals or pickled beets, you can find them both at World Market. Barque Party Tip: Use a cauliflower head that still has pretty greens around it. You can remove the cauliflower and slice them into bite-sized florets, then return it to the "greenery" bowl. It will add some color and provide context for the vegetable on the board.  The Entire Spring Appetizer Board (clockwise): pickled deviled eggs, deviled eggs, rose pickled grapes, cauliflower, toasted crostini, celery, bell pepper, tomato, pink hummus, sliced radish, rainbow carrots, brie, cubed jalapeno jack cheese, cubed colby jack cheese, mini cheeseballs, salami, provolone slices.   All in all, it was a pretty good spread that looked beautiful together, and we will definitely be making some of these recipes again. Yay for Spring appetizers that are pretty and delicious!