It’s grazing season, and we have THE ultimate grazing platter for you! Our mezze platter, full of classic and adapted Mediterranean bites, is just what you have been craving. Grab a glass of rosé, and treat your family and friends to this delectable combination of heavenly samples.
What is mezze, you may ask? Meze, mezze, or mazza is a selection of small dishes served as appetizers commonly devoured in Western Asia, Turkey, Greece, the Balkans, and North Africa. It is served as either part of a multi-course meal or as a snack during a social gathering.
The selection of small bites is highly dependent on the country in which it is served. For instance, sliced melon, hot pepper paste with walnuts, and strained yogurt are common bites in Turkey, whereas grilled octopus, kalamata olives, and eggplant salad are typical dishes in Greece.
Our mezze platter contains a range of spreads, vegetables, fruits, meats, and some of our favorite Mediterranean small plates. Follow our simple step-by-step instructions to make your mezze platter just as beautiful and tasty as ours!
Need-to-Know
How to Cut the Vegetables
- Red peppers: slice the red peppers, lengthwise, into 1-inch slices for the roasted red peppers.
- English cucumbers: thinly cut the cucumbers crosswise into rounds and then cut each round slice into four equal-sized triangles.
- Shallots: cut the shallot in half, lengthwise, and then slice the shallot thinly into long slices, lengthwise.
- Heirloom carrots: slice the heirloom carrots in half, lengthwise.
- Tomatoes: cut the tomatoes into quarters.
A Quick Pickle
We love quick pickles. For this recipe, we pickle some sliced heirloom carrots to dress our mezze platter. If you want to learn more about the basics of pickling, visit “How to Master a Quick Pickle.”
Toasting the Vadouvan Spices
The combination of vadouvan spices packs a ton of beautiful flavors. Toast the spices in a dry sauté pan at medium-low heat to enhance those flavors by releasing their natural oils. You may toast both ground spices and whole spices. Wait until the pan is hot, and then add the spices.
When they appear intensely aromatic, they are ready for use. The toasting process should only take 30 seconds to 1 minute. Be careful not to burn them. You do not want a burnt taste to appear in the hummus. Note that ground spices are more prone to burning than whole spices. If you opt for turmeric root and whole nutmeg, use a microplane to produce fine grains.
Which Tomatoes to Select
We recommend you purchase Campari tomatoes that are high in sugar and low in acid. They are bright red, really juicy, and in my opinion, the best tomato out there, as they eat more like fruit in comparison to other types of tomatoes that can be purchased outside of the Mediterranean countries.
If, of course, you live in a Mediterranean country, you will likely have more options for sweet-tasting tomatoes.
How to Keep Tomatoes for Maximum Ripeness
Tomatoes are a fruit and must ripen over time before use. To ensure your tomatoes are sweet and juicy, store them on your countertop at room temperature to allow them to ripen.
We do not recommend storing tomatoes in the refrigerator because refrigeration will prevent the tomatoes from reaching their ideal ripeness. Additionally, they may become dry and tasteless.
You may consume them for up to 5 days, depending on how ripe they were when you purchased them.
When Are the Roasted Red Peppers Done?
The roasted red peppers are done when they are very soft and lightly blackened but not crispy and burnt on the edges. When the red peppers develop a lightly blackened appearance, they also produce a smoky flavor without a burnt taste.
Wine Pairing
Visit your local liquor store and request a bottle featuring these characteristics to find the perfect pair.
- Color: rosé
- Notes: floral, strawberry candy, fresh watermelon, peach, apricot, orange blossom, minerality
- Geography: old world
- Structure: high alcohol, low acidity
Love Your Leftovers
Extra Morsels from the Mezze Platter?
You just finished gobbling up our mezze platter, and you are left with some leftovers or leftover ingredients. Check out these posts to help you ditch the waste for more taste!
Ingredients
Vadouvan Hummus
- 15 oz. can pre-cooked chickpeas
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 6 dried curry leaves
- 1/3 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 2 green cardamom pods
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/3 tsp brown mustard seeds
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 3 cloves
- 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2 tsp salt
Tzatziki Sauce
- 1 cup plain full-fat yogurt
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 cup English cucumber grated
- 1/4 cup dill finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp cured sumac
- 1/2 tsp salt
- ground pepper
Roasted Red Peppers
- 2 large red bell peppers (1-inch) slices
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- ground pepper
Marinated Olives and Feta
- 7 oz. feta cheese block
- 1/2 cup olives kalamata black, castelvetrano green, and Cretan green olives
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp rosemary finely chopped
- ground pepper
Tabbouleh
- 1 cup English cucumber quarter slices
- 1 shallot thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup pearl couscous
- 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
- 1/4 cup mint leaves finely chopped
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/8 tsp salt
- ground pepper
Lemon Honey Vinaigrette (for Tabbouleh)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- 1/4 tsp salt
- ground pepper
Pickled Carrots
- 10 heirloom carrots halves
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 1 lemon sliced
Seasoned Tomatoes
- 6 Campari tomatoes quartered
- 1 tsp olive oil
- salt to taste
- ground pepper to taste
Pita Bread
- 12 pieces pita bread quartered
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp oregano
Additional Ingredients for the Mezze Platter
- 20 flatbread crackers
- 10 slices Proscuitto de Parma
- 10 slices salami
- 1 cup Marcona almonds
- 4 cups red grapes
Instructions
Make the Vinaigrette for the Tabbouleh
- Mince the garlic, and squeeze the lemons. Set each aside.
- Combine minced garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and ground pepper in a mixing bowl.
- Whisk the ingredients together.
- Allow the dressing to sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
Roast the Red Peppers
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (204 degrees Celsius).
- Slice the red pepper, lengthwise, into long (1-inch) slices.
- Toss the red peppers with olive oil, salt, and ground pepper.
- Spread the seasoned red pepper slices onto a baking sheet.
- Roast the red bell peppers for 30-40 minutes, flipping them halfway through the roasting process.
Pickle the Heirloom Carrots
- Cut the carrots in halves lengthwise, and slice the lemons. Set aside.
- Combine apple cider vinegar, water, salt, and sugar into a saucepan on the stovetop at high heat to make the pickling liquid. Boil it for 5 minutes.
- Add heirloom carrots, sliced lemon, and rosemary sprigs to a jar.
- Add pickling liquid to the jar and allow the carrots to pickle for at least 30 minutes.
Toast the Spices for the Vadouvan Hummus
- Finely chop the parsley. Set aside.
- Break open the cardamom pods with a mortar and pestle and remove the cardamom seeds.
- Combine curry leaves, fenugreek seeds, cardamom seeds, ground cumin, brown mustard seeds, turmeric powder, ground nutmeg, red chili powder, and cloves in a dry sauté pan at medium-low heat. Toast them for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until intensely aromatic.
- Grind the spices into a powder in an electric spice or coffee grinder.
Make the Vadouvan Hummus
- Combine pre-cooked chickpeas, garlic, olive oil, tahini, and lemon juice in a food processor. Blend until smooth.
- Stir in salt and spices.
- Garnish with flat-leaf parsley and olive oil.
Blend the Tzatziki
- Grate skin-on English cucumber, wrap the grated cucumber in a cheesecloth and squeeze out the excess liquid.
- Finely chop the dill, peel and clean the garlic cloves, and squeeze the lemons. Set aside.
- Combine yogurt, garlic, and lemon juice in a food processor. Grind until smooth.
- Stir in grated cucumber, dill, cured sumac, salt, and ground pepper.
Cook the Pearl Couscous
- Combine pearl couscous and olive oil in a saucepan at medium heat. Toast the dry couscous until lightly browned.
- Add water and salt. Raise the heat on the stovetop to high heat.
- When it begins to boil, cover the saucepan with its lid, reduce the heat on the stovetop to medium-low, and cook for 10-12 minutes.
Toss Together the Tabbouleh
- Thinly slice English cucumber into quarters by thinly slicing the cucumber crosswise and then cutting each slice into four equal-sized pieces. Set aside.
- Cut the shallot in half and thinly slice the shallot, lengthwise, into long thin strips. Finely chop mint leaves and flat-leaf parsley. Set aside.
- Toss together cucumber, shallots, mint, flat-leaf parsley, cooked couscous, and lemon honey vinaigrette in a mixing bowl.
- Season with salt, and ground pepper to taste.
Make the Marinated Olives and Feta
- Cut the feta cheese block into cubes. Squeeze the lemons, and finely chop the rosemary. Set aside.
- Combine olives, feta cheese cubes, olive oil, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, dried oregano, rosemary, salt, and ground pepper in a mixing bowl and toss well.
Season the Tomatoes
- Cut the tomatoes into quarters and add them to a mixing bowl.
- Add olive oil.
- Season them with salt, and ground pepper to taste. Toss well.
Bake the Pita Triangles
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (191 degrees Celsius).
- Cut the pita bread into 4 triangles.
- Evenly distribute them onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Brush them with olive oil.
- Season them with dried oregano and salt.
- Bake them for 5-7 minutes until warm.
Put Together the Mezze Platter
- Add tzatziki, marinated olives and feta, and tabbouleh to separate bowls. Place them onto a large platter.
- Dollop the hummus onto a corner of the platter.
- Dress the platter with pita triangles, flatbread crackers, roasted red peppers, pickled carrots, seasoned tomatoes, rolled up slices of prosciutto di Parma and salami, Marcona almonds, red grapes, and any other small bites you may desire.
- Serve and enjoy.
4 Responses
Wow, beautiful! Can’t wait to make this!
Thank you Lilyana, we appreciate your comment! When you do make it, we would love to hear from you again.
Every bite of this mezze platter is ridiculously delicious. Thanks for actually taking the time to provide instructions for each dish, really helpful!
Hi Alexis, thank you for your comment, we are so happy that you enjoyed our mezze platter! We wanted to make sure that you could make yours just as delicious and beautiful as ours, so we are so happy to hear that you were able to execute it easily!