We were surrounded by Mediterranean food in the kitchen the other day during a fun bout of recipe development and inspiration struck to create this DELICIOUS Mezze Platter! Here are all the recipes and tips you will need to create your own Mezze Platter.
What is a Mezze Platter?
Ok, so what is a “Mezze platter”? Mezze, or Meze, is just an assortment of small dishes, usually a mix of hot and cold, that can be served as an appetizer or a light meal. The origin is Mediterranean and it typically includes various dips and spreads like hummus or baba ganoush, olives and other such things. In the summer months when the weather is smoking hot and the last thing you want to do is cook for hours, THIS is your answer. I’ve always loved the notion of a sharing platter anyway; I’m that person who wants to try everything!
We had my parents and my brother’s family over for dinner on the patio the other day and this made the perfect little board for people to nibble on. By including an assortment of items it meant there was a little something for everyone!
How to Build a Mezze Platter
- Start with a large board or platter. There is nothing worse than when you go to build a board and it can’t fit everything intended but I also like a bit of a crowded look without a lot of space between things. Make sure your platter is food safe (not any piece of lumber will do).
- Use a variety of textures and ingredients. When creating any dish you want to play on different textures of food, like pairing something crunchy with something creamy. If you keep this in mind when deciding what to put on your platter.
- Anchor the board with large items. Begin creating your board by placing the largest items on first, like a bowl of salad. This way you can begin to fill in some of the smaller gaps with small or loose items like dried fruit and nuts!
- Keep the details in mind – Depending on what items you have on your platter you may need items like a small dish for olive pits, side plates for Greek Salad, or forks and knives.
- Garnish with herbs. I LOVE adding a few sprigs of rosemary or thyme to the board, it makes it look so much more rustic!
What to Put on a Mezze Platter
We linked some of our favourite recipes below.
- Hummus
- Tzatziki
- Marinated Feta
- Pita Bread (try this recipe by Molly Yeh– love her!)
- Zucchini Fritters
- Greek Panzanella Salad
- Warm Olives
- Nuts (try these Rosemary Roasted Nuts)
- Fresh Veggies
- Baba Ganoush
- Dolmades
- Good Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Roasted Red Peppers (in a jar)
- Falafels
You can really get creative with anything on your platter! We made a few items from scratch then layered in items that were hassle-free like olives and nuts. I can’t wait to see all your Mediterranean creations: comment below if we missed any of your favourite Mezze Platter components!
I purchased the Fraiche board that is in your photo and wondered if I should apply food safe mineral oil or any other food safe oil on the wooden board before using it. Your mezze platter looks delicious!