Spring in Italy Grazing Board
Spring in Italy Grazing Board
Take a culinary trip to Italy without leaving your kitchen this spring with our Spring in Italy Grazing Board! Featuring Italy's most famous cheese, Parmesan, in three unique ways, this bright, light and truly springy snack board is as delicious as it is beautiful.
Suggested Ingredients:
- Parmigiano-Reggiano di Montagna 993 – Found exclusively at Kowalski's, our Signature Parmigiano-Reggiano features a slightly salty, rich, sharp and sweet flavor and a delicate, granular texture. An eight-century-old process is still used today to create small batches of this incredible cheese. Each wheel is aged 24 months on the farm – never in a warehouse – to assure its superior flavor and texture. "Parmesan" by law is made only in Italy's Modena Mountain Region, a pastoral setting 3,000 feet above sea level. Parmesan is a raw cow's milk cheese handmade in one of the 12 farms that conform to the strict standards for producing Parmigiano-Reggiano. Find ours in the Specialty Cheese Department.
- Salsi di Parma – This Signature Kowalski's recipe is one of the most versatile spreads you'll find. It bears the unmistakable flavors of Asiago and Parmesan cheese infused with garlic, virgin olive oil and a variety of secret herbs and spices. Fresh from the container, it goes well with crackers, crostini and sliced baguettes; or mix it with any cooked pasta to create a tasteful pasta dish in minutes. It's also amazing melted into a grilled cheese sandwich or tossed with roasted potatoes or veggies. Find it in the Deli Department.
- Parmesan Crisps – A popular Italian recipe, Parm crisps are a baked cracker alternative that are as delicious topped with prosciutto and/or balsamic jelly as they are on their own. Find these crispy, gluten-free snacks in the Specialty Cheese Department.
- Prosciutto – This dry-cured specialty ham is a popular Italian snack and ingredient known for its rosy color and salty-sweet flavor profile. It's almost always sliced paper-thin. It is commonly enjoyed wrapped around breadsticks, figs or melon, or layered on flatbread, sandwiches or pizza. Find it in the Deli Department.
- Fresh Cantaloupe
- Fresh Rosemary
- Bare Honey – This Minnesota clover honey is light, sweet and floral. It's wonderful with Parmesan and drizzled over the prosciutto-wrapped melon found on this board. Find it in Specialty Cheese and the Grocery Department.
- Fennel Taralli – An irresistible Italian snack, these fall somewhere between breadstick, cracker and pretzel. Fennel is a wonderful Italian flavor, but you can find several flavors of taralli in the Specialty Cheese Department. (Gluten-free substitute: Crunchmaster Tuscan Peasant Crackers.)
- Balsamic di Modena Jelly – Made with the best balsamic in the world, this sweet-tart condiment is a perfect match for the salty, nutty sweetness of Parmesan. You can heat it in the microwave with a tiny bit of water and use as a glaze on grilled pork or chicken. It's also wonderful spread on a grilled cheese or burger. You can find it in the Specialty Cheese Department.
- Lemon Dolcetini – Featuring a popular spring flavor, these bite-sized Italian-style lemon cookies are nicely crumbly and lightly sweet. Find them and other flavors of dolcetini in the Grocery Department. (Gluten-free substitute: Lemon Bistro Meringues from the Bakery Department.)
- Lemon-Flavored Almonds – A substantive, crunchy counterpart that works well with the other ingredients on this board, these almonds help tie together this board's bright spring flavors. Gluten-free almonds from SkinnyDipped have the perfect pucker. Find them in the Grocery Department. Also look for limoncello almonds in the Bulk Foods Section.
- Walnut Halves and Pieces
- Fresh Kiwi
- Fresh Lemon
- Fresh Endive
Wine Recommendation:
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Nardello Meridies Soave Classico 2019 – This D.O.C. wine is made with 100% Garganega grapes in Veneto, Northern Italy. The Soave Classico distinction is intended to highlight wines from the theoretically superior traditional terroir after the Soave territory was expanded in the late 20th century. This light, dry, still wine has a fresh, floral aroma and a "green," spring-like flavor tasting of tree fruit and citrus with a subtle minerality.
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Other beverage suggestions: Chianti, sparkling wine (such as Prosecco), Pinot Griogio from the Veneto region or Kowalski's Lemon Sparkling Water.
Build Your Grazing Board:
Follow these four simple steps to assemble a gorgeous spread:
- Place bowls and jars. Position condiments and "wet" items either opposite one another on the board or forming a triangle, away from the edge.
- Arrange big items. Stack, fan out or swirl large pieces around the edges of the board or platter to create a border.
- Place cheeses and fruits. Arrange single-serve portions near the appropriate pairings.
- Nestle in snacks and nuts. Pile loose pieces close to the center to contain them. Pile (do not scatter) to fill any gaps and visually tie the board together.
Other Grazing Board Tips:
A foodie work of art, grazing boards offer an opportunity to get creative! Try building your own themed grazing board with these helpful tips:
- In general, foods should be bite-sized or no larger than single-portioned, depending on the item. For the most part, avoid whole portions of food that need a utensil to serve (other than spoonable items).
- Start with bowls and jars of spoonable ingredients first, placing them on opposite sides of the board or in a triangle.
- Place the larger/focal ingredients around the edge of the board first. Then, working in towards the center, arrange the smaller remaining items in groups of 2-3 around the board. Placing these groupings on opposites sides of the board from each other will help provide color balance. Notice how the groups of kiwi slices in our board above provide pops of color that keep your eye moving around the board. Small ingredients should be added last, nestling them in piles near the foods they pair best with to fill in any gaps.
- Swirl, pile, layer, stack and swoop foods together with little to no space between them.
- Keep color balance in mind as you place items. Do not place items of the same color all in one area of the board.
- Garnish with few, if any, inedible garnishes. Instead, treat the smallest foods on the board as a garnish, placing them in small groupings around the board (don’t scatter them over the entire board).
Selection and availability of products varies by market.