*This post is sponsored by Envy Apples*

Grazing board is an easy, fun, and customizable snack board with your favorite fruits, bread/crackers, nuts, seeds, cheese, and dips. It’s perfect for a solo, relaxing evening and for entertaining a large crowd.

Recently, I attended a cooking-demo at Central Market featuring Envy apples, a non GMO apple grown naturally in Washington State and New Zealand. Before this event, I was not familiar with Envy apples so naturally I was curious about the apples and learn about different ways to incorporate them into my everyday life. Our chef instructor demonstrated 5 recipes from soups to baked oatmeal, all of which were delicious but the cheese board with sliced Envy apples, walnuts, and cheese really stood out to me. It was simple yet the crisp, sweet apples paired with cheddar cheese was memorable. I am a big fan of assembling cheese board as seen here, here, here, here, and here so today, I am sharing my version of grazing board paired with nuts, seeds, cheese, apples, and hummus. Grazing Board For One is my idea of a light meal or snack when I want to lounge around and enjoy my evening. I hope you will be inspired to create a grazing board with your favorite nuts, seeds, fruits, and dips soon.

When assembling a grazing board, I think of contrasting flavors, textures, and nourishing add-ons so it’s balanced + pretty to look at. Some of my favorite things to add are : different nuts and seeds for crunch + nutrition (hello protein and fats), olives for saltiness, and hummus, a wonderful source of fiber, protein, and other nutrients are great as a dip.

Fresh fruits like grapes, cherries, and stone fruits are often seen on a cheese board as they hold-up well and can be swapped seasonally. Apple is not something I add because the variety I normally get brown too quickly which isn’t appetizing at all. Envy apple, a cross between Braeburn and Royal Gala naturally have a higher citric acid content which prevents the ‘browning’ enzyme – polyphenol oxidase from reacting with the oxygen. This process helps delay the browning in Envy apples for about 10 hours which was so interesting to learn. If you follow me on instagram @foodpleasurehealth, you may have seen that I did the experiment at home by slicing an Envy apple and leaving them exposed in the air for about 10 hours and it seriously didn’t brown at all. In addition to a grazing board, Envy apple is a great addition to a lunch box, salads, and breakfast parfait.

The beautiful thing about any grazing board is the freedom to pick and choose whatever you want as well as customize to every lifestyle. You can skip the cheese for plant-based, while to make the board gluten-free, gluten-free crackers or vegetables like carrot sticks and sugar-snap peas can be added to the board. For paleo and keto board, bring out all the meats and cheeses! For me personally, I like to have a little bit of everything – smoked cheddar cheese, Envy apple slices (or any fruits), handful of nuts, and seeds (which I suggest buying from the bulk bin section), something to dip like hummus, or microgreens cashew spread, both are plant-based and nutritious!

Crackers and bread sticks are essential for dipping, which can be store-bought or made at home. Some of my favorite homemade crackers are : Easy Semolina Crackers // Vegan Oat Crackers . I like making bread straws using puff pastry sheets as it’s super easy and you can vary seasonings, add cheese + herbs, or sweeten it with brown sugar + cinnamon. PS. Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry is vegan.

Please use the Grazing Board For One recipe as an inspiration to make your own version to fit your needs and have fun some with it. If you are new to the world of cheese board, I have a whole post dedicated on “How to Build a Holiday Cheese Board”.

GRAZING BOARD FOR ONE

serves : 1

Ingredients
1/4 cup hummus (homemade or store-bought)
1/2 Envy apple, sliced (use a plastic wrap to store the remaining half in the fridge for later use)
2-3 oz smoked cheddar cheese (or you can use a cheese of your choice)
2 tablespoon raw, unsalted pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon dried cranberries
2 tablespoon raw, unsalted mixed nuts
few whole green olives
few crackers or bread sticks
fresh herbs like rosemary for garnish
optional : raw veggies like carrot sticks, cucumber slices, julienned bell peppers, sugar snap peas, fruits such as grapes and pears

Directions
In a small cutting board or plate, arrange the hummus in the center of the board, followed by olives, Envy apple slices, and crackers/bread sticks
Fill the space in between with nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and cheese
Garnish with fresh herbs

Note: While arranging the board, think contrasting colors and visual appeal. Do not overlap the ingredients too much or leave too many empty spaces in the middle.

Thank you so much Central Market + Envy Apples for inviting me to the cooking demo and sharing all about Envy apples and many ways to incorporate them into my life. I will most certainly be looking out for Envy apples from now on and I hope you will too when you are at the grocery store next. You can learn more about Envy apple at envyapples.com.