Boards, Platters, Plates

Aperitivo

frizzled shallot dip + potato chips + Marcona almonds + olives

Serves 2 to 4 • Inspired by the Italian ritual of a predinner snack, this board has a couple of components you might expect (olives and salty almonds), but it also has a riff on sour cream–and–onion dip that's made with frizzled shallots and the thick strained yogurt called labne. Sour cream is an easy substitute if you can't find labne, but the labne is better because it's thicker and creamier.

Make the frizzled shallot dip: Line a plate with paper towels or a clean brown paper bag. Place the shallots in a small saucepan and pour in the vegetable oil. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are mostly brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Strain the fried shallots through a fine-mesh sieve, and then spread them out on the prepared plate. Sprinkle them with a pinch of salt. (Save the flavorful shallot oil for another recipe, like Korean BBQ.)

In a medium bowl, stir together the labne, lemon juice, and frizzled shallots. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Spoon the frizzled shallot dip into a small bowl and top with the chopped chives. Place the bowl on the serving board, with the potato chips alongside. Set the Marcona almonds on the board as well. Place the mixed olives on the board (and don't forget to set out a tiny bowl for pits!).

Catalonian Summer

romesco + charred green onions + anchovy toasts + Manchego

Serves 2 to 4 • Romesco is a bright orangey-red Catalonian sauce made from roasted peppers, tomatoes, and ground almonds. It's a delicious dip for charred green onions, and you can make what I consider a perfect bite by combining the two on an anchovy toast with a thin slice of Manchego cheese.

Make the romesco: In a food processor, blend the roasted peppers, tomatoes, almonds, garlic, vinegar, paprika, chile flakes, and ½ teaspoon of fine salt until combined. While the machine is spinning, slowly pour in the olive oil and blend until smooth, 10 to 30 seconds. Taste and season with more salt if needed and a little more chile flakes if you'd like the sauce to be spicier. Spoon the romesco into a small serving bowl.

Char the green onions: Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat for 3 minutes. Swirl in the olive oil and place the green onions in the pan. Cook, turning the onions once or twice, until completely tender and charred in some places, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a small plate and season with 2 pinches of flaky salt.

Make the anchovy toasts: Place the anchovies in a small dish and pour in the vinegar. Let marinate for about 5 minutes and up to 1 hour. Toast the bread well until the edges are browned but not burned. Drizzle the bread with olive oil and then cut each slice on an angle into 3 or 4 equal-size pieces. Drape 1 marinated anchovy over each piece of toast. Season generously with pepper.

Assemble: Arrange the anchovy toasts on one side of the board. Place the bowl of romesco in the middle of the board, with the plate of charred green onions next to it. Set the sliced Manchego on the other side.

Parisienne

party size
Parisienne

tiny roasted summer squash–and–goat cheese sandwiches + tiny ham-and-butter sandwiches + seven-minute eggs + radishes + Comté + cornichons

Serves 8 to 10 • Tiny two-bite sandwiches are pretty cute and fun to eat. You can't go wrong following the French lead with a baguette, a generous amount of salted butter, and good-quality ham. If you only have unsalted butter on hand, sprinkle a little flaky salt over the butter when you're assembling the sandwiches. The other tiny sandwich with roasted squash and goat cheese is a nice option for vegetarians.

Cook the eggs: Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Carefully lower in the eggs, adjust the heat so that the water simmers gently, and cook for exactly 7 minutes. (If you're starting with fridge-cold eggs, after 7 minutes of cooking time, the whites will be set but the yolks will still be soft and a little runny in the centers; if you prefer yolks that are fully set, cook the eggs for 10 minutes total.) Transfer the cooked eggs to a bowl of ice water and let cool for 2 minutes, then crack and peel away the shells.

Make the squash sandwiches: Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the squash rounds in a single layer on a baking sheet, drizzle with the oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast, turning once, until the squash is tender and golden brown in a few places, about 25 minutes.

Using a sharp serrated knife, carefully slice the baguette lengthwise. Place the two halves cut-side up. Spread the goat cheese evenly across both halves, then tile the roasted squash rounds on top of the cheese. Scatter the herbs and slice the sandwich crosswise into two-bite portions.

Make the ham sandwiches: Using a sharp serrated knife, carefully slice the baguette lengthwise. Place the two halves cut-side up. Spread the butter evenly across both halves. Drape the ham over the butter, and then slice the sandwich crosswise into two-bite portions.

Assemble: Place the tiny sandwiches on one side of a large board. Cut the peeled eggs into halves, season with salt and pepper, and arrange them next to the sandwiches. Set the radishes, Comté, and cornichons alongside (with a small fork for spearing the cornichons and a small knife for serving the cheese).

The radishes and cornichons are nice to pick up and crunch on to cleanse your palate between bites of the more structured tiny sandwiches. And the cheese is just great to have on this board because it's cheese!

New Fondue

baked cheese + garlic-rubbed baguette croutons + chicories + fig jam + apricots

Serves 2 to 4 • You can make this new take on fondue with any whole wheel of soft-ripened cheese like Brie, Camembert, or Cambozola. Little 4-ounce (115 g) wheels are ideal for two servings, but don't worry if your cheese is larger or smaller—the cooking method is the same. For a fun alternative to this recipe, use apricot jam and fresh figs, or come up with your own combo of fresh fruit and cooked fruit.