I’ve said it here many times: I love feeding a crowd. I especially enjoy serving food that looks beautiful, tastes great, and is simple to prepare.
My group always appreciates a generous antipasti board—the kind loaded with different cheeses, roasted peppers, marinated artichokes, and plenty of small slices of bread.
This version is a little different and I can’t take credit for the idea. It’s inspired by Tieghan Gerard of Half Baked Harvest. Her flavor combinations are consistently excellent, and this marinated tomato and grilled vegetable cheese board is no exception. We love grilled vegetables and including them on a cheese board adds an unexpected, delicious touch.
I prefer to start marinating the tomatoes and vegetables the day before serving so the flavors have time to develop. It also makes the assembly much easier the next day.
For the tomatoes, heirlooms are especially good here. If heirlooms aren’t available, cherry or grape tomatoes work well—just halve or quarter them so they are bite-sized. Use your favorite fresh herbs; I used a mix of basil, oregano, and thyme, which is a tasty combination.
If you want to grill the vegetables ahead of time, make sure they marinate for several hours first so they absorb the flavors.
Beyond the marinated tomatoes and grilled vegetables, the board needs at least two kinds of cheese. In these photos I used fresh burrata, lightly drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, alongside a block of aged gouda—one of our family favorites.
If your guests enjoy deli meats, include prosciutto and salami. Add seasonal fresh fruit for contrast; I chose grapes and slices of pluots, a delightful cross between a plum and an apricot.
Finally, offer plenty of bread. In this case I served gluten-free bread because some guests are gluten-free. I sliced several loaves of my Gluten-Free Artisan Bread thinly and grilled the slices for a few minutes on each side—so good you wouldn’t guess it’s gluten-free.
Marinated Tomato & Grilled Veggie Cheese Board
Recipe from Half Baked Harvest
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
- 12 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
- kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
- 2 1/2 cups mixed heirloom tomatoes, halved or quartered to bite-size pieces (about 16.5 ounces)
- 2 small zucchini or yellow squash, sliced lengthwise
- 2 red bell peppers, quartered
- 2 to 3 assorted cheeses (such as burrata & aged gouda)
- 2 to 3 assorted meats (such as prosciutto, soppressata & salami)
- fresh fruits
- grilled bread or crackers
Instructions
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To make the marinade: in a glass jar whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, chopped herbs, grated garlic, optional red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper.
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Add the squash slices and pepper quarters to a bowl and toss with 3 tablespoons of the marinade. Refrigerate to marinate for several hours or overnight.
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Add the tomatoes to a separate bowl and toss with the remaining marinade. Refrigerate to marinate for several hours or overnight.
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Preheat the grill to high. Grill the peppers and squash until they have light char marks, about 3 minutes per side. If you like, grill slices of bread at the same time.
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To assemble the board: arrange the cheeses on a large board, then add the grilled vegetables, marinated tomatoes, meats, and fruits around them. If there’s room add slices of grilled bread on the board or serve them on the side.
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