Adding hints of elegance can make any event or experience feel all the more distinguished and refined. 

These three appetizers are an easy way to hone in on your skills in the culinary arts that are sure to elevate whatever event you are hosting!

At Table & Thyme, we know what it takes to elevate experiences and take them to the next level of flavor and refinery. Curating beautiful culinary arrangements is a guaranteed way to create the perfect ambiance for any event and facilitate lifelong memories. We aren’t the only ones capable of producing these amazing arrangements, but we do believe sharing some of these skills with you is important in creating these elevated experiences! That’s why we gathered these recipes together to share with you, so that you can explore the art of crafting beautiful dishes. 

 

Image by She Keeps a Lovely Home

Spring Canapés

These beautiful little delicacies feature their own individual centerpieces! They can be totally customized to fit a range of themes and specific tastes, but these quality ingredients really tie the whole dish together. This recipe embodies all things spring with a variety of flavors including olive tapenade, fresh pesto, and more for a down to earth, symphony of herbs! With three distinct flavors, this recipe only takes about 35 minutes to put together, so why not give it a try! Here’s what you’ll need: 

Ingredients

Olive Tapenade

• ¾ cup kalamata olives, pitted

Pesto

• 1 cup fresh basil leaves
• 3 Tablespoons parmesan cheese, fresh-grated
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons pine nuts or pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

Canapés

• 1 loaf butter bread or white bread
• 4 radishes, small to medium
• 8 multi-colored cherry tomatoes, small
• 1 cucumber, small
• 1 Tablespoon capers
• sprouts, a small bunch
• 8 chives
• 8 slices prosciutto
• 8 teaspoons chive cream cheese

Directions

Olive Tapenade

1. In a food processor, add the kalamata olives and process for about 15-20 seconds. 

Pesto

1. In a food processor, add 1 basil leaves (without stems), parmesan cheese, olive oil, white balsamic vinegar and pine nuts (or pepitas). Process until well-chopped and almost creamy. This should yield about 4 tbsp. of pesto. Make sure to cover your pesto while you prepare your other ingredients or it will start to dry out.

Canapés

1. Use a cookie cutter to cut perfect squares or circles out of each slice without the crusts. You’ll want to cut 24 perfect little pieces. Toast for 10 minutes at 250 F. You want them to be dried out a bit so they’re a little crunchy.
2. Chop your radishes, slice your cherry tomatoes, and slice your cucumber into tiny sections. 
3. For the pesto canapés: add a small amount of pesto to the breads with a knife. Top them carefully with your veggies and a few capers, and line them up on your tray.
4. For the tapenade canapés: add a nice helping of tapenade to the breads with a small spoon or knife. Top them with veggies and a small chive and line them up on your tray.
5. For the rose canapés: add a nice helping of chive cream cheese to the remaining breads. Fold the prosciutto in half and simply roll into a rose. Place it in the center of the bread and cream cheese. Add a few sprouts to the side of the rose by pressing them into the cream cheese. Line them up on your tray, and voila! 

For a more detailed guide with pictures, visit She Keeps A Lovely Home for an in-depth recipe guide with tips for beautifying this appetizer! 

 

Image by Wellelsy and King

Fresh Spring Crostini

Following the same vein, these delicious little bites are absolutely bursting with flavor! Though they may appear to have the same texture and taste as the canapés, these crostini actually feature an entirely different palate! With the three varieties in this recipe, you create a medley of sweet, savory, spicy, crunchy, smooth, and more all made with fresh ingredients! Not to mention, the assembly for this elegant appetizer is only 25 minutes in total, so there is no reason not to try this recipe! 

Ingredients

• 1 french baguette, sliced
• Whipped cream cheese
• Sweet & spicy pepper jelly
• Fresh goat cheese
• Fresh blackberries raspberries, blueberries or strawberries (whichever you like)
• Chopped mint
• Honey
• Grape tomatoes sliced into discs
• Fresh mozzarella cheese sliced into flat pieces
• Chopped basil
• Balsamic glaze

Directions

Crostini Base:

1. Cut a baguette into ½-inch slices.
2. Lay flat on a baking sheet.
3. Brush tops of baguette slices with olive oil
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until crust is toasted.

Cream Cheese and Sweet Pepper Jelly Crostini:

1. Spread cream cheese onto the baguette slices, and top with a dollop of jelly.

Goat Cheese, Fresh Berries, Honey, and Mint Crostini: 

1. Spread each baguette slice with softened goat cheese. Top with 1-2 berries. Drizzle with honey. 
2. Sprinkle chopped mint leaves on top.

Fresh Mozzarella, Grape Tomatoes, and Basil Crostini: 

1. Spread each baguette slice with a slice of fresh mozzarella cheese. Top with 1-2 tomato slices. 
2. Drizzle with balsamic glaze. Sprinkle chopped basil leaves on top.

For more detailed instruction, visit Wellesley and King’s recipe guide! 

 

Image by Martha Stewart

Roasted Onion and Goat-Cheese Eggs

What better way to celebrate the onset of a much-needed spring than with these lovely, colorful little bites? The funny thing is, you don’t actually need any eggs for this recipe! They pair wonderfully with crackers or baked bread and combine the sweet, buttery taste of goat cheese with the fresh edge of spring with floral herbs, spices, and chives. 

Ingredients

• 8 ounces spring onions, trimmed and quartered lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 8 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup fresh chive blossoms, or 2 tablespoons chopped chives, plus more for serving
• 1 teaspoon pink peppercorns, crushed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Meanwhile, toss onions with oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing once, until caramelized and tender, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely, then roughly chop.
2. In a bowl, beat together cheeses and butter. Fold in onions and chive blossoms. Season with salt.
3. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Scoop 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture; pat into a ball and transfer to the sheet. Repeat with remaining cheese mixture. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Lightly form each ball into an oval “egg.” Refrigerate until firm, covered at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days. When ready to serve, sprinkle each egg with peppercorns and garnish with more chive blossoms. 
4. Serve with crackers and enjoy!

For more helpful tips and substitutions, visit Martha Stewart’s blog, here! 

Spring is the season of awakening, so maybe it’s time to freshen up your culinary skills!

We hope you enjoyed these dainty yet flavorful appetizer recipes that are absolutely perfect for this time of year, whatever event you are hosting (and yes, that means just nice days at home as well!) If you tried your hand at crafting any of these delicate masterpieces, be sure to let us know! 

For more information on Table and Thyme, contact them today! Follow us on our social media: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Pinterest to see the other amazing events, lavishing grazing tables and beautiful graze boxes we have created.