The Dish

Dish THE FOOD AND RECIPES

Sometimes bu ets get a bad rap. Traditionally, bu ets are a catchall approach to feeding lots of people lots of food.

But, remove the chafi ng dishes and big silver spoons, and you essentially have a grazing table. It’s the same concept but with a modern and fun approach to serving snacks, appetizers, meals, and desserts. The idea is as old as food itself and can be seen in many di erent forms throughout history, from the grand bu et displays at weddings to your high school cafeteria. The aim is to encourage a communal experience and o er food that’s easily and equally available to all guests, without making them stand in line!

Amazing Grazing

Dish THE FOOD AND RECIPES

Grazing table options are endless and versatile when it comes to presenting food to share. If you’ve been to any sort of celebration recently and enjoyed a donut from the donut wall, cheese from the charcuterie board or even a fi nger sandwich from an assorted tray you have experienced a form of a grazing table.

Its gain in popularity is from its ease of assembly, “wow” factor in presentation, and ability to feed your crowd without having to stress over food temperature. These fi ve tips will help you prepare, design and execute your very own amazing grazing table.

FOOD

1

Choose Your Vessel Wisely

This decision sets the tone of the display. After you have decided how many people you are looking to serve and what food you want to provide, choose a hard surface with character, space, and presentation power. If doing a classic cheese display to take to a dinner party, fi nd a large board that is impressive even without the food on it. If you’re providing a selection of items for a luncheon, pick a small table that can be dressed up and used as the platter.

2

Location, Location, Location

Since guests typically gather near the food table your display will be a focal point in the room, so make sure to choose a space that is open for people to freely move around. You will want your guests to have easy access to all o erings—you can do this by positioning the “grazings” so that they can be enjoyed from all directions. Lazy Susans can help with this!

3

Pile It On

When choosing the items to put on your table, think through the textures, colors, and varieties. This will help you easily present your food without having to worry about fancy fruit carvings or edi-ble/nonviable food garnishes. Don’t try to have back items to rebuild the o erings—use all you can on the display and pile it on—aim to have no white space. I also like to use a mix of utensils, bowls, and cutlery, adding depth to the presentation.

4

Small But Mighty

The grazing table option is intended to satisfy a crowd. Try to o er a wide variety of options that fi t within your theme so that even the pickiest of eaters will be pleased. The o erings should be bite-sized but plentiful (remember, no white space!). The selections should be a mix of savory and sweet items or foods that complement each other. Try to include items that limit your preparation time but add that “wow” factor. Jazz up a store-bought hummus or other spread, to o er some variety but which takes little prep time.

FOOD

5

Where’s Waldo

Think of it as a game, like “Where’s Waldo?” The more you look, the more you fi nd. The more options you have—colors, textures, elevations, refi ned and rustic themes—the more you keep your guests interested. They will explore the table to fi nd the things they like and their eyes will stay glued to the presentation. Have fun with the options and happy grazing!

CENTER

DRS. JOSH AND MEREDITH PARMELEE

Business hours: Monday - Thursday 8:30am - 5:30pm Friday 8:30am - 4:00pm Saturday and Sunday Closed

1730 Brunswick Hwy. • Waycross, GA 31501

912-283-9383

americaneyecarecenters.com americaneyecarecenterwaycross