Zen Balance artful platter (Printable Version)

A visually balanced platter of fresh veggies, goat cheese, nuts, and herbs served on a long board.

# What You'll Need:

→ Fresh Produce

01 - 8 slices cucumber
02 - 8 baby carrots
03 - 8 halved radishes

→ Cheese

04 - 2.1 oz goat cheese, shaped into small rounds

→ Crackers

05 - 8 gluten-free crackers

→ Nuts

06 - 1.1 oz roasted almonds

→ Fruit

07 - 8 seedless red grapes

→ Garnish

08 - Fresh herbs (e.g., chives, dill), for decoration

# Directions:

01 - Place a clean wooden or slate board at least 24 inches long on a flat surface.
02 - At one end, create a neat pile with half of the cucumber slices and crackers as the base, adding carrots, radishes, grapes, goat cheese rounds, and half of the almonds.
03 - Repeat the same arrangement precisely on the opposite end using the remaining ingredients to establish perfect symmetry.
04 - Decorate each pile with a few sprigs of fresh herbs to enhance color and aroma.
05 - Leave the center section of the board empty to emphasize harmony and contrast.
06 - Present immediately and encourage mindful appreciation of the visual balance before eating.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It's elegant without demanding hours in the kitchen—fifteen minutes to impress someone matters.
  • The symmetry creates a kind of calm you don't get from regular platters, like a visual exhale.
  • Everything tastes fresher because you're actually paying attention to it instead of mindlessly grazing.
02 -
  • Symmetry matters more than perfection—if one radish is slightly smaller, it won't ruin anything, but breaking the mirror arrangement will break the whole feeling.
  • Assemble this right before serving, because these delicate vegetables start to wilt and lose their crispness within an hour.
  • Use a board that's actually clean and beautiful—a scratched, stained surface will undermine everything you're trying to create.
03 -
  • Chill your board in the fridge for ten minutes before assembling—it keeps everything fresher and the presentation feels more polished.
  • Arrange everything on a neutral surface first so you can see the balance before you commit to the board, and you'll feel more confident in your composition.
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