It’s summer, which means that dining al fresco is everyone’s first choice. From pool days to beach trips and birthday parties to park dates, this Summer Picnic Board will be a major hit at any gathering this season. Not only is this board fun and perfect for the warmer weather, but it’s also easy to customize to fit the needs of any diet or allergens.
What You’ll Need
Overall, the goal is to pick snacks that are easy to grab and eat, as you would on a picnic. Here are some things to think about as you customize your board:
- Assorted meats and cheeses: These offer protein to your guests to keep everything balanced. If you have vegetarian friends, leave off the meat and for any vegans, swap out both for roasted chickpeas! You can also find a variety of vegan cheeses at most health food stores.
- Fresh fruits and veggies: To stick to the picnic look, try to choose fruits and veggies that are all in similar shades that also feel summery and easy to eat. You can’t celebrate summer without watermelon, cherries and strawberries, but also, what is a snack board without grapes? For veggies, carrot sticks and cherry tomatoes offer a great contrast in taste and appearance.
- Crunchy snacks: Crackers and pretzels make for a great vehicle for dipping and pairing with dips while LesserEvil Fiery Hot Paleo Puffs add a fun crunch while also balancing out the sweet and mild fruit and cheese flavors.
- Dips: If you’d like, you can whip up a homemade hummus or easily buy one at the store and transfer into a jar or bowl to keep the aesthetic!
- Serving pieces: A tray/platter, small bowls/jars, small spoons/knives/forks are all ideal for displaying and enjoying your board.
What I Used:
I decided to go with a red, pink and orange theme to really give my board a super summery and picnic vibe to it. Using these snacks worked perfectly to achieve the look I was going for!
- Multiple cheeses (pre-cut or easy to cut)
- Fresh fruit
- Watermelon
- Cherries
- Strawberries
- Grapes
- Assorted cured meat
- Salami
- Prosciutto
- Raw veggies
- Carrot sticks
- Cherry tomatoes
- Snacks:
- Pretzels
- LesserEvil Fiery Hot Paleo Puffs
- Crackers
- Dips (homemade or store bought)
- Hummus
Ready to make it yourself?
Watch as we piece together our Summer Picnic Board to get inspired to create your own version!
Homemade Hummus
Ingredients:
- 1 15 oz can chickpeas/garbanzo beans
- 1 lemon
- ¼ cup tahini
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2-3 tbsp water, separated
Toppings (Optional):
- Extra virgin olive oil drizzle
- Salt & pepper
- Roasted chickpeas
- Paprika
Directions:
- Using a food processor or high powered blender, blend lemon juice, tahini, garlic, olive oil, cumin and salt together until smooth.
- Add in half of the drained and rinsed chickpeas along with a tbsp of water and blend until smooth.
- Add in the rest of the chickpeas and another tbsp of water then continue blending. If you’d like the consistency to be even smoother, add the remaining tbsp of water and blend.
- Once it has reached your desired consistency, top with a drizzle of olive oil, extra salt and pepper and a dash of paprika.