Grazing Boxes

Grazing tables have become popular, where lots of foods are arranged directly onto a large table that has been lined with a food grade paper. People stand around the table to chat and graze. Using Grazing Boxes instead to fill a table is an even better idea! Have friends make Boxes and bring them over. Choose a grazing menu or theme so that the grazing table will have consistency.

Whether you are making a Grazing Box or serve the same ingredients on a board to make a grazing board, the idea is the same. Grazing Boxes encompass the idea of small plates, tapas, ‘picky’ finger food, and appetizers all rolled into one beautifully presented Box.

This post will walk you through how to make a DIY (do it yourself) Grazing Box. There’s even a video if you prefer to watch.

Grazing Box / Grazing Board Ideas

Grazing Box, grazing board or grazing table, the concept of grazing is still the same with all three. Choose ingredients that compliment each other and use seasonal foods.

Grazing menus vary according to the purpose. Do you want to gift it, eat it while bingeing on Netflix, bring it to a friend’s party or offer it as an appetizer at your own party? The purpose of the Grazing Box will determine the ingredients and size and overall look of the final result.

The general equation for any type of Grazing Box is:

Cured and /or uncured meats + cheeses + accoutrements + decoration (optional).

Scroll down to see more detail about ingredients, particularly the ingredients I used for this Grazing Box.

What box to use is determined by the number of people it is for. A small box is ideal for a single person or a couple of people wanting to share. Many mini boxes can be used and the Grazing Box style and theme be reproduced for all of them. The advantage of making mini boxes for a group of people, is that they can be customized for each consumer’s allergies or dietary restrictions.

I bought these Boxes from Amazon, they are 12″ x 8″ x 2.5″ made specifically to contain food. Feel free to save presentation boxes like the ones below. Line them with wax, parchment or other food safe paper. Save ribbons too. Use these ribbons to tie bamboo tongs to the box. These particular bamboo tongs have little grippers at the bottom, that allow easy pick up of foods, out of the box.

Placing a collection of Grazing Boxes together forms a grazing table. Suddenly, the idea of putting together a grazing table just got easier!

What you will need:

Ingredients:

Whatever style or food theme you choose will dictate your ingredients. I chose Italian style cured meats, along with an assortment of cheeses both soft and hard. Accoutrements to compliment these meats and cheeses included olives, roasted garlic and fresh tomatoes. As this Grazing Box had a winter theme, I added sugared cranberries, spiced pecans, pomegranate seeds, fresh mandarin oranges and dried orange and grapefruit slices.

Cured meats:

Possibilities are assorted Salamis, Sopressata ( coarsely ground, dry cured pork sausage), Coppa (dry cured pork neck), smoked ham, Prosciutto (air cured ham), Saucisson (dry cured pork sausage), and Cervelat (dry cured smoked pork, bacon and beef sausage). There’s lots more -too many to mention here.

I used Spicy Fennel Salami, Uncured Fennel Salami, Genoa Salami, Sopressata, Coppa and Italian Dried Salami.

Cheeses:

Sliced or block. Soft, semi soft, or hard. Mild or mature.

I used sliced provolone (I wanted a circular cheese to form into a cone, you’ll see why later) and of course, being an Irish food blogger, I have to include a good solid Irish Cheddar as the anchor of this Grazing Box. I also included a Dutch style Edam for its mild and creamy qualities and an earthy and equally creamy Camembert.

Accoutrements:

These are all the add ins that complete the Box. Accoutrements can be:

• Nuts: spiced, roasted, whole, salted, glazed – really whatever you would like to include.
• Seasonal fruit: as this is a winter Grazing Box, then winter fruits include all citrus – whether fresh or dried, cranberries (I suggest sugar coating them like I did), pomegranate arils (seeds), also raisins, currants and craisins (dried cranberries.)
• Vegetables: garlic (serve it as roasted cloves), fresh tomatoes (any small variety works), sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers, any type of deli olives such as Castelvetrano (mild, buttery, crisp Italian olives) and Kalamata (purple / brownish Greek olives), Cornichons (sweet, tart, baby pickles) and silverskin (pearl) pickled onions.
• Herbs: fresh rosemary, oregano and thyme are great herbs to add, in addition to being edible, they provide a burst of green that is needed in this Grazing Box.

Equipment:

You’ll need a box, any size, large enough to fill with goodies for the number of people you want to serve. Small boxes are great to use for individual Grazing Boxes.

Use a box made of food grade material like I did. Here’s the one I used. You’ll see doughnuts in these in grocery stores. Failing that, use a box and line it well with wax or parchment paper.

Disposable gloves are a must! Buy them in the exact size you need, don’t size up. They should feel like a second skin on your hands. Because all of the food in the Grazing Box is ready to eat and requires no further cooking, wearing gloves reduces exposure to microorganisms.

If you don’t have disposable gloves, consider investing in food tweezers (use them like tongs).

What not to include in a Grazing Box:

• Blue cheese, it can be too pungent and overpower the flavors and aromas of the other ingredients.
• Nuts in shells, people grazing should not have to think about what has to happen to the food before it is eaten. All nuts should be shelled. Don’t even be tempted to throw in a handful of pistachios as a garnish, shells present a choking hazard.
• Nothing inedible such as holly, inedible berries, napkins, fresh or synthetic greenery, pine cones and tissue paper.

How to Make a Grazing Box

I prepared roasted garlic, spiced pecans, dried orange and grapefruit slices and sugared cranberries in advance.

With all your ingredients gathered it’s time to commence! Scroll down to see what Tips I have on presentation or better yet watch the video. This is no right or wrong way, the goal is simply to make it beautiful.

Video How to Make Grazing Boxes

Cheese Rind – to Remove or not to Remove?

That is the question and apparently it is a common question! According to Murray Cheeses, a leading cheese maker and expert in cheeses in the U.S., all cheeses should be served with the rind on. The flavor of the cheese becomes stronger as you get closer to the rind. Discard the rind if you don’t like the mouthfeel. All rinds are safe to eat, but some you won’t want to eat. Rinds act as a protective layer and usually have a more robust flavor than the ‘paste’ (edible center of the cheese). Do not confuse wax coverings (typically found on Dutch style cheeses like Edam,) bark or cloth as rind.

A Tip From Me Regarding Presentation

The goal when making a Grazing Box, grazing board or charcuterie and cheese tray, is to make it as appealing as possible. The following are some suggestions how to do this:

• The box you choose will determine a lot of things. If it’s a round box, choose a particular food to place in the center, such as a small round of brie, or make a salami rose. Then fan the food from the center to the perimeter. This produces a symmetric presentation. Square and rectangular boxes can also have a centerpiece but these boxes lend themselves to a more whimsical presentation.
• Boxes that have removable lids are preferable. Great for parties – so remove the lid and tray pass them.
• Think about a vertical presentation for the meats. Do not be tempted to lay them flat. Arrange them vertically. This can be achieved by folding them in an accordion style or folding and laying them at a 45 degree angle. Sliced meats can also be arranged in a rose formation too.
• Choose what style you are going for. Do you want to have a neat appearance with everything in its place and a place for everything OR scattered and whimsical? There’s no right or wrong!
• Keep dried foods together like cheese, meats and herbs.
• Present moist food such as marinated olives in a small container or use sliced cheese or salami and fold into a cone and fill with olives, cheeses such as feta or mozzarella that have been stored in oil or other moisture filled foods.
• If this is a gift, don’t forget to include crackers or some sort of flatbread. Bamboo tongs complete the gift. If serving it at home, place some small plates, and small forks (and maybe knives) beside the Grazing Box.

Other Types of Grazing Boxes

Grazing boxes don’t always have to be savory. Fill them with sweet treats such as mini cookies, macarons, tartlets, truffles and fresh berries and nuts. Great as a dessert alternative, better yet as a gift.

Don’t forget breakfast Grazing Boxes containing boiled eggs, ham, fresh fruit, yogurt parfaits, croissants and mini cinnamon buns.

Small boxes are ideal for Grazing snack boxes filled with cheese sticks, jerky, grapes, mandarin oranges, peanuts and granola bars. What a great idea to hand these out to the team members of your kids’ sports team!

Christmas Grazing Boxes include savory and / or sweet goodies.

Storage of Grazing Boxes

I give completed Grazing Boxes a storage life of 6-12 hours, meaning this is how long a full Grazing Box will continue to look appetizing and presentable. The first sign of a Grazing Box loosing it’s appeal is when the fruit juices (from cranberries, berries and pomegranate seeds) start to discolor the surrounding foods.

If you want to prolong the life of your Grazing Box, present all moist foods (olives in oil, fruits with juices) in little containers with lids. Close the Box and wrap tightly in plastic wrap before refrigerating. You can refrigerate a Grazing Box for about 2 days before serving. Allow one hour at room temperature before consuming – enjoy!

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