Cheese boards, trays and platters: Enjoy recipes from our 150 Appetizer Recipes eBook

I've always loved finger foods and cheese boards. As a child my mother would make Christmas eve extra special by creating several boards and platters and as kids we would all get involved in helping her. Fabulous memories to look back on!

She would cover a wooden bread board in tinfoil and add lettuce leaves and greens as a base and then display dried fruit, an assortment of cheeses, olives, crackers and my favourite was creating the porcupine orange with toothpicks. Cutting up little blocks of meat, cheese and pickles and threading them onto a toothpick that would then be placed into an orange. Simple and delicious fun!

A few photos of some of our latest platters at Christmas or casual patio eating in the summer.

As an adult I have grown to love Mediterranean food like sundried tomatoes, stuffed olives, unusual salted meats and I seek out new cheeses to try. Nuts, grapes, dried mango, dried apricots, unusual crackers with seeds and grains, prosciutto, pesto, hummus, tzatziki and cheese sticks are also a favourite. Choosing the right dish, tray or platter is part of the fun too and I love to garnish the food with sprigs of fresh herbs like parsley, rosemary or basil.

Add foods with different colours, textures and flavours of salty, sweet, grainy and soft to be eye-catching, delicious and interesting!

Making your own sauces and dips in a blender is a lot of fun and I highly recommend making your own pesto, hummus, tzatziki, salsa and spreadable sundried tomato spread if you're able to. This eBook and party package of eBooks offers some incredibly delicious and unique dips and food!

If you haven't tried some of these, a few of my favourite cheeses are: 

• Blue
• Brie
• Camembert
• Feta
• Gouda
• Parmesan
• Swiss
• Monteray Jack
• Havarti
• Gruyere
• Cream cheese
• Cottage cheese
• Cheddar
• Goat's cheese

I wanted to share a few delicious and interesting recipes from this fantastic appetizer recipe eBook as there is always a new and inspiring way to build cheese boards and platters for a party, gathering or simply enjoy in the backyard paired with the right wine or beverage.

1) Appetizer Cheese Ball:

8 ounces Cream Cheese -- Room Temp. 4 ounces Blue Cheese -- Crumbled 4 ounces Cheddar Cheese -- Shredded 2 teaspoons Mustard -- Dijon-style 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce 1/8 teaspoon Garlic Powder 1/4 teaspoon Salt 1/2 cup Pecans -- Finely Chopped 2/3 cup Currants 3/4 cup Parsley -- Chopped

-----DIPPERS----- Assorted Crackers Apple Wedges Place the cream cheese, blue cheese, cheddar cheese, mustard, Worcestershire, garlic powder, and salt in a mixer bowl and beat at low speed just until well mixed.

Stir in the pecans and currants. Taste and adjust seasoning. Refrigerate the cheese mixture for 30 minutes or until slightly firm, then shape into a ball. Roll in the chopped parsley to coat well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. Let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving. Place on a platter surrounded with crackers and apple wedges.

2) Mock French Pate:

1/4 cup Unsalted butter -- * see note 1 pound Fresh mushrooms 1/3 cup Onions -- minced 1/3 cup Celery -- chopped 2 Eggs 3 ounces Cream cheese 3/4 cup Fine bread crumbs 1 teaspoon Salt 1/2 teaspoon Basil -- crushed 1/4 teaspoon Rosemary -- crushed 1/4 teaspoon Oregano -- crushed 1/8 teaspoon Black pepper -- freshly ground * plus butter for greasing the pan Butter a 7-by-4-inch loaf pan.

Line with wax paper, leaving an overhang of about 1 1/2 inches all around to assist in lifting out the pate later. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Rinse, dry and finely chop the mushrooms. You should have about 5 cups. In a large saucepan melt the butter, and saute the onions and celery until tender, about 5 minutes. In a large bowl beat the eggs and cream cheese until smooth. Add the bread crumbs, salt, basil, rosemary, oregano and pepper. Stir in the onion mixture and the mushrooms. Blend well.

Spoon the mixture into the loaf pan. Cover the top with foil, and bake until firm, about 1 1/2 hours. Cool in the pan until lukewarm. Remove from the pan, using the paper overhang as an aid. Serve at room temperature with crackers as an appetizer. Serves 12 to 14

3) Fire Balls:

12 ounces jalapeno peppers, canned 1 cup buttermilk baking mix 6 ounces mozzarella cheese -- shredded 1 pound sausage 6 ounces seasoned bread crumbs * Use a spicy breading mix made for pork or for less spicy dish use unseasoned fine dry bread crumbs. A mixture of pork breading crumbs and plain crumbs is good to use.

1. Cut off stem ends and remove seeds from the peppers. Rinse peppers to remove seeds, but allow some seeds to remain if you like them hotter. 2. Stuff peppers lightly with cheese, then set aside. 3. Thoroughly mix sausage, biscuit mix, and remaining cheese. Make small patties from the mixture. Place a pepper in the center of each patty, then wrap and seal the dough around the pepper. Coat one or two balls at a time by shaking them in a plastic bag with the pork breading mix or seasoning of your choice. 4. Using a lightly greased skillet, brown sausage balls until the sausage is thoroughly cooked, turning several times.

4) Ellen's Boursin:

8 ounces Cream cheese 2 Garlic cloves -- peeled 1 tablespoon Each fresh basil -- dill and 6 Black olives -- pitted Blend cream cheese, garlic and herbs in a food processor until smooth. Chop in olives. Transfer to a small bowl and keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Boursin is generally served as an appetizer spread on crackers, or stuffed into cherry tomatoes

I really hope you've enjoyed these recipes and feel inspired to try new and interesting eats for the season! Get creative with a massive feast of colour and tastes!

Bon Appetit!

Susan

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