Yesterday, I sat down with my calendar and tried to get myself organized for the holiday season (up to this point, I’ve been trying to keep it all in my head and that’s a bad idea!).  There are so many things going on and I want to make sure that I have everything planned and that I make time to commit to the things that are really important to me.  One of the things that I want to do is to have a Christmas wine and appetizer party for my friends.  This grazing board is such a beautiful way to present a variety of foods without spending hours in the kitchen.  Keep reading and I’ll share how I did it!

I decided to use seasonal fruits and veggies and several kinds of cheese with hummus.  I did somehow forget to slice the beautiful figs that I bought and I also forgot to use apples.  Not sure what happened there, but it still looks beautiful!  Next time, I’ll make a list of the things I want to use!

I roasted carrots and cauliflower on the same baking sheet with a little olive oil and salt and pepper.  The carrots were whole and took a little longer than the cauliflower.  I sliced the carrots lengthwise and cut them in half after they were roasted.

The display consisted of hummus, crackers, two kinds of cheese, sun dried tomatoes in olive oil, olives, grapes, pistachios, pecans, kumquats, pomegranate, radishes, roasted carrots and roasted cauliflower.  It should have had figs and apples as well.  You could also substitute Brussels sprouts for the cauliflower and add prosciutto to make it a little heartier!

I used store bought hummus and added salt, dried oregano, toasted pine nuts, pomegranate seeds, chili flakes and lots of freshly ground pepper to the top as garnish.  It tasted so amazing with all of those toppings!

Finally, I garnished with pansies from my yard.  This tray would easily feed 8 people as an hors d’oeuvre and took me less than an hour to put together if you don’t count roasting the veggies.  It really couldn’t be easier!

I hope you find some time to host a little gathering this year and that you’ll make your version of this grazing board.  Add a few bottles of wine and great friends for a magical evening!

I’m including some links for cheese boards and knives below!  These make wonderful holiday gifts for nearly anyone on your list!

Today, I’m linking with Elegantly Dressed and Stylish!