Some of the plates were partitioned so that the components stayed separate and organized.
A cook with an eye for presentationassembled the trayas though piecing a quilt top.
And in that, we find reason to revive and redo the relish tray.
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They are quick and easy, with lots of room for creativity and personalization.
This is what separates a relish tray from a cheese plate or charcuterie board.
A relish tray shouldn’t need bread or crackers as an accompaniment.
Even with that caveat, the possibilities abound.
Pull out all of those olives and odd pickles, plus a few raw vegetables.
If not, a quick trip to the store will fill in the gaps.
Start at the salad and olive bars.
There’s no need to overspend.
A relish tray must look nice, so think about color and texture.
Use Whatever Serving Pieces You Have
Speaking of platters, use what you have.
A baking sheet covered with parchment can hold a ton of stuff.
Or, use an array of bowls, barware, wide-mouth jars, and/or small plates.
Peruse your kitchen cabinets for anything you’ve got the option to use as creative service items.
Vegetable sticks can stand in a gravy boat or tea cups, for example.
Nothing has to match.
Use your serving space for edibles, not garnishes.
A relish tray requires no decoration because the food itself is the decoration.
It’s your tray and you boss it, so include what you like.
Overall, however, it’s wise to not cross the line on what constitutes finger food.
Have fun with this.
Relish trays should be as enjoyable to create as they are to nibble.
Here are some of our favoritepickle recipesfor including on a relish tray:
