marinated grilled summer vegetable charcuterie board
If I’ve an appropriate occasion to create a snack board for J and I – or more – I sure as hell will. This Marinated Grilled Summer Vegetable Charcuterie Board is your light and healthful summer weekend platter for whatever plans you may have, be it lounging on the couch or dipping your toes in the water.
I’ll admit: since the holidays and the Ultimate Chips n’ Dip Party Board, I haven’t really played with mezze platters so much. I’m usually more inclined to create them for Christmas or Thanksgiving when munching throughout the day is the name of the game.
That said, Tuesday was the MLB All Star Game, and couch dinner felt correct for the occasion. This beautiful, stupid simple, and ridiculously tasty charcuterie board used up some random components in my fridge and pantry and served as a filling meal for J and I that we could pick at while the players duked it out in Colorado. If you’re a gathering or a lazy weekend sup in mind, this board is perfect for you.
You truly have a ton of freedom with any board when it comes to components. I chose a summery and Mediterranean theme for something not too heavy yet no less diverse than a platter you might order at a restaurant.
The necessary ingredients are pretty minimal and you likely have them on hand already. Plenty of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, cloves of garlic, dried basil and oregano, some fresh basil and rosemary, and lemon juice. The rest of the gaps the grocery store fills in easily.
Start with the vegetables. Ideally, allow 10-15 minutes for the veggies to hang out in the marinade before grilling so the flavors infuse more thoroughly. Slice up a couple zucchini and throw them in a ziptop bag with a batch of baby bell peppers. The baby bells are sweet and tender and much quicker to grill than their big fat cousins. Whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dried oregano, dried basil, garlic, red pepper flakes, and a bit of salt and pepper. Seal the bag well and squoosh the veggies in the sauce until everything is lusciously coated.
When ready, heat up the grill or grill pan. Cook the veggies until nice and charred on each side, about 4-5 minutes per.
I dressed the tomatoes more or less the same way I did in my Spinach Artichoke Pilaf Zucchini Boats. After mixing the cute little guys in their dressing, let them sit at room temperature if for some abhorrent reason you kept your tomatoes in the fridge. Room temperature ‘matoes are loads better than cold ones. Fact.
For this board I liked an especially creamy goat cheese spread. The Greek yogurt really smooths out the crumbly chevre, and I flavored it simply with lemon, garlic, and a kiss of salt. Whip the cheese in a food processor, scraping down the sides with a spatula as needed if it creeps up the walls of the bowl.
And now…Arrangement! Spread your components around as desired, and if your serving board is particularly massive you may choose to grab a few other items to add alongside. Apart from what I loaded my board with, I’d recommend some briny olives (in particular, kalamata), marinated artichokes, perhaps some honey roasted almonds if you feel like a nut (sometimes you don’t), and if you’re feeling particularly cheesy, some mozzarella balls mixed with the tomatoes for a caprese twist.
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!
Ingredients
balsamic grilled vegetables
- 1 bag baby bell peppers
- 2 large zucchini
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
marinated tomatoes
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
whipped goat cheese
- 5 oz goat cheese
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
- 2 cloves garlic
for the board
- warm pita bread
- smoked salmon
- prosciutto, salami, or choice of cold cuts
- sliced peaches (wrapped in prosciutto, as desired)
- fresh cherries or grapes
Instructions
- Slice zucchini length-wise into 4-6 strips about 1/4 inch in width. Add to a ziptop bag with the baby bell peppers.
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dried oregano, dried basil, garlic cloves, red pepper flakes, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Pour into the bag with the vegetables and toss to thoroughly combine. Marinate at room temperature for 10-15 minutes or up to 6 hours in the fridge.
- When ready, preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high. Remove vegetables from the bag and, leaving space on the grates between veggies, grill vegetables for 4-5 minutes per side until charred and tender. Set aside on a plate. You may need to do multiple batches depending on the size of your grill/grill pan.
- In a bowl, toss cherry tomatoes with olive oil, balsamic, garlic, fresh basil, fresh mint, fresh rosemary, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Combine goat cheese, lemon juice, garlic, Greek yogurt, and a pinch of salt in a food processor. Whip until creamy. Pour into a small serving bowl.
- Set tomatoes and goat cheese on a serving board or platter. Arrange grilled vegetables around the bowls. Fill in the gaps with sliced prosciutto, smoked salmon, or cold cuts otherwise. I also opted to wrap a few peach slices with some prosciutto for J to nibble on. Finish with various summer fruits such as peaches, plums, cherries, grapes, or apricots.
