Celebrate 2023 with love (and something delicious!)
Check out these awesome Grazing Board Ideas for Valentine’s Day!
Are you looking for ways to make Valentine’s Day 2023 one to remember? Celebrate your favorite person or the gal pals you can always count on with a Valentine’s (or Galentine’s) grazing board!
Find the perfect wine pairings, fruity cocktails, and decadent desserts to serve alongside your Valentine’s graze board, and spend the evening tasting the sweet life!
Keep reading to learn how to make a grazing board with professional tips from experienced caterers at Table & Thyme.
Crafting a Valentine’s Grazing Board
Before you can create a masterful snacking spread, it’s helpful to understand what makes graze boards so great.
There are a few major elements that make for an exceptional graze board. These elements are distinctive and work together to magnify the sophisticated elegance of your graze board. Give each area a fair bit of thought and consideration before crafting your appetizing display. You will thank yourself for it later.
Here are the main areas to focus on when designing your Valentine’s charcuterie graze board:
A Lovely Backdrop
A platter of irresistible finger foods is sure to entice most, but when it’s decorated with ornate botanicals and stylish attention to detail? Now that is an edible experience that no one can resist!
Spruce up your graze board with fresh flowers like baby’s breath or roses, and some leafy greenery such as fluffy kale, eucalyptus, or lemon leaves.
Bring out your cheesiest Valentine’s Day decor to really bring out the love! A sprinkle of candy hearts with adorable messages or a scattering of velvety rose petals can be a great way to upgrade your Valentine’s grazing board.
You can also add a few strategically placed candles or add some dimension to your graze board with elevated placement. Create a layered effect by incorporating bowls and boards within the tablescape like the picture[s] below.
Fresh Items
After you have found the perfect accents for your Valentine’s graze board, you are ready to move on to the food!
The most memorable grazing table and boards always boast fresh fares. Fresh fruits and crudité bring earthy elegance to the occasion, pair wonderfully with a multitude of dishes, and minimize the empty spaces of boards to create a more encompassing experience.
Instead of going for the typical veggie or fruit platter, enhance your Valentine’s graze board by embracing the season! Add seasonal items from the garden, like pomegranates, pears, carrots, brussels sprouts, and more.
For nearly all elements of a good graze board, it is best practice to balance the flavors of sweet and savory when possible. Try to keep this in mind when selecting the best fruits, vegetables, and other foods to include on your Valentine’s Day graze board!
Artisanal Touches
In addition to the fresh picks from the late winter harvest, refine your Valentine’s graze board with artisanal flavors. These include items made with skilled craftsmanship, such as aged cheese and charcuterie, and pickled delicacies like olives, beets, and cucumbers.
Some of the most popular flavor pairings include:
Salami and Gouda
Prosciutto and Mozzarella
Soppressata and Havarti
If you are feeling particularly extravagant, add some appealing appetizers to your grazing board, such as simple crostini, tangy shrimp cocktail, or crispy crab cakes!
Handcrafted Dips and Spreads
Alongside the previously mentioned elements, be sure to include some delicious dips and special spreads to enrich your Valentine’s graze board.
Creamy hummus, zesty sour cream and chive dip, smooth butter with herbs, and even decadent preserves go well with most graze boards.
While these dips and spreads marry the fresh and aged flavors of most graze boards, adding freshly baked slices of bread or crackers is a fashionable way to take the sophistication of your Valentine’s Day grazing board even further.
Something Sweet
For the final element of your V-Day grazing board, don’t forget to include some darling Valentine’s Day desserts!
Chocolate is always a must for this holiday. But there are many other ways to add sweetness to your grazing board, such as gooey baked brie and fruit, cheesecake bites, and melt-in-your-mouth cookies!
Want to become a grazing board expert like Table & Thyme? Find more helpful tips on our blog!
Valentine’s Day Grazing Board Theme Ideas
Wondering how to bring your Valentine’s grazing board to the next level of incredible? Add some custom creativity with a grazing board theme!
Following a theme, whether you are planning a chic event or a 5-star dinner, is guaranteed to bring some refinement into the mix.
There are so many sources of inspiration when it comes to finding a theme, and holidays like Valentine’s Day bring plenty of opportunities for seasonal themes and styles. Think about the main idea or vibe you are looking to accomplish with your grazing board. What foods, dishes, and decor comes to mind? Simply incorporate them into your grazing board and viola!
Need some help coming up with ideas? Here are 5 Valentine’s Day graze board themes to get the creative juices flowing!
Just Desserts
Shades of Red
Chocolate Charcuterie Board
Decadent Dinner Board
Brunch
V-Day the Right Way with Table & Thyme
Want to celebrate this year’s holiday of love with a gourmet grazing board?
Our handcrafted Graze Boxes make it easy to enjoy excellence without hassle. Choose from our wide selection of Graze Boxes for the perfect touch to your Valentine’s Day festivities!
Table & Thyme’s Graze Boxes include menus to cater to many diets and lifestyles, including vegetarian!
Order your own Graze Box today to be picked up before February 14!
In the meantime, follow Table & Thyme on Instagram, Tik Tok, and Pinterest for more elevated content, such as quick recipe rundowns and aesthetic event highlights.
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.
