black n’ blue mezze board with sundried tomato hummus
Slowly poking the autumnal bear with a new, moodier snackboard color scheme. And no, I don’t suddenly eat steak, so you can calm your horses, folks.
The steak I included exclusively for J, and all of you out there who needed a protein-packed compliment to some seriously addictive grilled vegetable skewers.
This Black n’ Blue Mezze Board was born out of a huge desire to use a new Trader Joe’s blue cheese variety that I eyeballed in the store and which received raving reviews. I’ll tell you, this particular blue is my favorite now. It’s soft and spreadable, with a slight hazy bite characteristic of the breed.
When I swiped one up, I wanted to create a Saturday snack board around it. I had some feta lying around the fridge to use up, so a Greek-themed nibble platter made sense. If you’re up for a late summer board and want to squeeze in a few final outdoor grilling sessions, this recipe is certainly in your favor.
Hummmmmm
Let’s talk hummus, because no Greek platter can keep the title sans a bowl of creamy hummus. This one is flavored with basil and sundried tomatoes, as well as the usual hummus suspects of chickpeas, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and cumin. It comes together in minutes and any leftovers are premium for sandwiches or as a vessel for various vegetables and crackers.
Prep is simple: combine chickpeas, sundried tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic, lemon juice, cumin, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a food processor and blitz until creamy. If needed, add a tablespoon or two of water to thin the hummus. Scoop into a bowl and set in the fridge to chill while you prep the rest of the board.
Nothing Skewed about Skewers
Next up: marinated, grilled summer vegetables, the most convincing way to make any haters eat their veg.
The steak skewers were premade from the grocery store, and I really didn’t do much to them, so I won’t discuss their prep.
The veggies, however – that’s my jam. Slice up a couple summer squashes into rounds, and a bell pepper or two into big chunks. Throw them in a bowl or in a ziptop bag. Separately, whisk some balsamic vinegar, olive oil, dried oregano, dried basil, dried rosemary, red pepper flakes, minced garlic, salt and pepper, then pour over the veggies and toss them around in the marinade. Let this mix sit for 10-15 minutes for the veggies to absorb the flavors.
When you’re ready to grill, fire up the coals, the gas, or the stovetop pan. Thread the veggies onto skewers. I typically alternate a zucchini, a pepper, and a yellow squash, but you arrange them as you can and as you please.
Grill the vegetable skewers, covered, about 10 minutes total, 2-3 minutes per side. I followed that same timetable for the steaks, FYI. I like a bit of crunch in my veggies but soft enough to not feel raw and squeaky. If you wish for a softer veg, grill a few minutes longer.
Putting the Board Together
As far as the board goes, as with any, you have a lot of flexibility, but I tried to keep the taste profile consistent as well as adding more Greek cuisine elements to finish off the spaces.
Blue cheese and feta cheese as my dairy components.
Tabbouli. I made my own and have a recipe forthcoming (I’ll update this post when I put it up!) but you can buy some as well if you wish.
Olives and marinated artichokes for that Mediterranean flare.
Grapes and figs as the fruit accompaniment, good for filling in the crevices of you stomach the other elements can;’t quite reach.
Dolmas, or stuffed grape leaves, that I picked up from the store.
Pita bread for stuffed with absolutely everything you desire from the board.
Easy peasy, right? Have fun with it, above all. You can add or substract as you please, but I really recommend keeping the sundried tomato hummus, blue cheese, and vegetable skewers as the main components. The rest can be built to your tastes and your guests’!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Other fun snackboards to try!
Marinated Grilled Summer Vegetable Charcuterie Board
Ingredients
for the board
- marinated grilled vegetable & steak skewers
- tabbouli
- mixed olives, such as kalamata and manzanilla
- 4 oz blue cheese (stilton, gorgonzola, etc)
- 4 oz feta cheese
- fruits, such as figs and grapes
- dolmas (stuffed grape leaves)
- marinated artichokes
- pita bread
sundried tomato hummus
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, drained
- 1/4 cup fresh basil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1-2 tbsp water, or more, to thin
- kosher salt and pepper, to taste
vegetable skewers
- 2 zucchini or summer squash, sliced into rounds
- 2 red bell peppers, sliced into chunks
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- pinch red pepper flakes, or to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the hummus. In a food processor, combine the chickpeas, sundried tomatoes, basil, garlic, lemon juice, tahini, cumin, olive oil, salt and pepper. Blitz until smooth, adding water 1 tablespoon at a time to reach desired texture. Taste for seasonings. Scoop into a bowl with a spatula and set, covered, into the fridge while you prepare the rest of the board.
- To make the grilled vegetable skewers: whisk together the balsamic, olive oil, oregano, basil, rosemary, garlic, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add sliced veggies to a large bowl or ziptop bag and pour marinade overtop. Toss to combine. Let sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.
- Preheat grill or grill pan to medium heat and spray grates with oil. Thread veggies onto wooden skewers, alternating squashes and bell peppers. If you're doing steak, make skewers of these as well.
- Grill veggies, covered, for about 10 minutes, turning every couple minutes to char each side. If doing steak as well, grill for 8-10 minutes also, turning every couple minutes, until desired doneness is achieved. If you're using a grill pan, keep in mind that you likely need multiple batches and cook time will increase.
- To assemble the board: Set skewers on one side of a large charcuterie board. Add bowls of hummus and tabbouli to the center and arrange blue cheese and feta cheese around the bowls. Set a small bowl of artichokes and olives around the perimeter. Fill in empty spaces with figs, grapes, and dolmas. Set pita loaves or triangles in remaining spaces.
