Mediterranean Mezza Platter (Printable Version)

Colorful Mediterranean spread with dips, cheeses, olives, and fresh herbs finished with olive oil.

# Components:

→ Dips & Spreads

01 - 1 cup classic hummus
02 - 1 cup baba ganoush
03 - 1 cup tzatziki

→ Cheeses

04 - 5.3 oz feta cheese, cut into rustic cubes

→ Vegetables

05 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
06 - 1 cup cucumber, sliced into rounds
07 - 1 cup assorted olives (Kalamata, green, Castelvetrano)
08 - 1 roasted red bell pepper, sliced
09 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced

→ Breads

10 - 2 large pita breads, cut into triangles (use gluten-free flatbread if needed)

→ Garnishes

11 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
12 - 2 tbsp fresh mint leaves, torn
13 - 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
14 - 1 tsp sumac or zaatar, optional
15 - Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Extras (Optional)

16 - 1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts
17 - 1/2 cup dolmas (stuffed grape leaves)
18 - 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

# Preparation steps:

01 - Place hummus, baba ganoush, and tzatziki in small, separate mounds around a large serving platter.
02 - Cluster rustic cubes of feta cheese on the platter.
03 - Arrange cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, assorted olives, roasted red pepper, and red onion in loose, organic clusters around the dips and cheese.
04 - Place pita bread triangles in a separate pile or fan them around the platter’s edge.
05 - If using, scatter marinated artichoke hearts, dolmas, and toasted pine nuts in small groups on the platter.
06 - Generously drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over dips, cheese, and vegetables.
07 - Sprinkle chopped parsley, torn mint leaves, and optionally sumac or zaatar; season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
08 - Present immediately, allowing guests to serve themselves.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's a confidence builder—no cooking skills required, just thoughtful assembly that looks restaurant-worthy
  • Your guests become participants, choosing their own combinations and discovering new flavor pairings together
  • It feeds a crowd without hours in the kitchen, leaving you time to actually enjoy people instead of being stuck at the stove
02 -
  • Temperature matters more than you'd think—cold vegetables and dips are refreshing, but if the platter sits at room temperature for an hour, it becomes sloppy and sad. Assemble closer to serving time if you can, or keep components cold until the last moment.
  • The olive oil drizzle does two things: it makes everything taste better and it's what makes the platter look intentional. Don't skip it or be stingy with it. This is where restaurant-quality happens in a home kitchen.
03 -
  • Quality matters in ingredients you can taste directly—the olive oil, the olives, the feta. These are the moments to splurge. Everything else can be good rather than extraordinary.
  • The secret that transforms a platter from nice to memorable is the confidence with which you present it. No apologies, no 'I know it's not much.' You made abundance visible, and that's a gift.
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