This week, I was faced with a challenge.
I would say that I feel pretty comfortable preparing allergy-friendly meals and dishes.
I regularly adapt to make meals gluten-free, and as an aspiring vegan, I tend to make dishes dairy-free. I am also pretty comfortable cooking nut-free since Robyn’s kids had a sensitivity to nuts for many years and A.’s brother recently developed a nut allergy.
But combining all three of these to make the ultimate nut-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, (and vegan friendly, if not animal product-free) celebration board for a family gathering this week? That was a real brain boggler.
So many non-dairy alternatives (cheeses, etc.) rely on nuts for their richness and often, gluten-free crackers use nut-based flours.
And most charcuterie boards are laden with meats and nuts.
Given the diversity of the folks gathering for this particular occasion, I knew I would be better off including some animal products to satisfy the crowd too.
My ultimate brainstorm resulted in what follows….
The Main Event: A Nut-Free, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free Lunch Board
The main components:
- Tuna salad
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Chickpea salad
- Hummus
All the vegetables:
- Carrot sticks
- Celery
- Bell pepper slices
- Cherry tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Lettuce cups
The companion items:
- Rice crackers
- Tortilla chips
- Potato chips
The condiments:
- Mustard
- Mini pickles
- Olives
- Salsa
The Midday Nut-Free, Dairy-Free Snack Board
The main ingredients:
- Dried figs
- Dried dates
- Sliced pears
- Grapes
- Mandarin oranges
The accompaniments:
- Graham crackers (not gluten-free)
- Gluten-free pretzel sticks
- Chopped dark chocolate
The condiments:
- Homemade strawberry sauce
What Actually Happened…
Well, my planning promised to result in some excellent lunch and snacking boards.
But then we had a last-minute change in plans.
My guests from out of town ending up changing their ETA to a later point in the afternoon, resulting in us skipping lunch as a group.
When they arrived, sated by the substantial late brunch they had enjoyed en route, even my snack board plans sort of went out the window.
So I ended up presenting the platter pictured above – a condensed version of the grazing board I had initially brainstormed.
At least this was a hit though!
The Nut-Free, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free Grazing Board
The simplified platter included:
- Rice cakes
- Gluten-free pretzel rods
- Mandarin oranges
- Dried figs
- Dried dates
- Dark chocolate squares
- Black raspberry preserves
- And on the side, regular glutinous graham crackers
I was a little disappointed not to present my well-thought-out lunch board, but given the ridiculous price of eggs in our area currently (between $6 and $9 per dozen on average!), and the prep work I saved, it really wasn’t a big deal.
Plus, I now have tons of veggies and hummus and an amazing chickpea salad to enjoy throughout the week!
What kinds of boards do you like to make (instead of traditional charcuterie)? Tell us in the comments below!