Jazz up your holiday entertaining with this Mediterranean-inspired party spread. You’ll need to spend just about 30 minutes preparing three quick elements — homemade marinated feta, marinated artichoke hearts and fried halloumi cheese — then surround them with your choice of colorful ingredients and prepared foods like hummus, pickles, crunchy veggies and more. Have fun making a picture-perfect spread that can be a grazing board at a cocktail party, an appetizer while you prepare the main meal, or serve it as a light and casual meal in itself. Remember that the selections here are just recommendations; when it comes to party boards there really are no rules so feel free to make it your own.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 8 hr 30 min |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 8 ounces feta
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 teaspoon tricolor peppercorns or other peppercorns
- Peel from 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 cup olive oil, plus more if needed
- Two 15-ounce cans artichoke hearts, drained
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt
- One 8-ounce block halloumi cheese
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups labneh topped with olive oil and za’atar
- 2 cups prepared hummus
- Honey, optional
- 1 cup nuts (such as almond, pistachios or walnuts)
- 1 bunch grapes
- 1 cup olives (as green and kalamata)
- 1/2 cup pickles (such as pickled onions or peppers)
- 1 bunch radishes, halved or quartered
- 4 Persian cucumbers, sliced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 1 pint mini bell peppers
- 8 ounces pita chips or 8 pieces pita bread cut into wedges
Instructions
- For the marinated feta: Slice the cheese into bite-size chunks and place in a jar or container (preferably glass) with a lid. Add the garlic, peppercorns, lemon peel, thyme, Aleppo pepper and cumin seeds. Pour in enough olive oil to cover the cheese. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Let the cheese come to room temperature before serving.
- For the marinated artichoke hearts: Slice the artichoke hearts in half and place them in a container. Add the parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, pepper flakes and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Give it a good stir, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
- For the fried halloumi: Slice the block of halloumi cheese into 1/2-inch-thick slices (you should have 6 to 8) and pat each slice completely dry. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Sear the cheese in the pan until golden, 2 to 3 minutes on each side.
- For the board: When you’re ready to assemble the board, choose a large platter or very large cutting board. Transfer the marinated feta to a small bowl and place it on the platter. Put the labneh in a small bowl and drizzle with olive oil sprinkle with za’atar and place it on the platter. Place the marinated artichokes in a bowl and place on the platter. Place the hummus in a small bowl and put it on the platter. Place the fried halloumi on the board and set a small bowl of honey next to it if you like. Fill the board with the nuts, grapes, olives, pickles, radishes, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, mini peppers and pita chips or pita bread.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 970 |
| Total Fat | 71 g |
| Saturated Fat | 18 g |
| Carbohydrates | 63 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 16 g |
| Sugar | 12 g |
| Protein | 31 g |
| Cholesterol | 60 mg |
| Sodium | 1507 mg |
Reviews
Great.