Cobblestone Courtyard Platter (Print View)

A delightful platter with crackers and olives artfully arranged for an elegant starter.

# Components:

→ Crackers

01 - 36–40 round crackers (water crackers, multigrain, or rice crackers)

→ Olives

02 - 1 cup assorted pitted olives (Castelvetrano, Kalamata, black)

→ Garnishes (optional)

03 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, or rosemary)
04 - 1/4 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese
05 - 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

# Directions:

01 - Select a large serving platter or charcuterie board as the base for the arrangement.
02 - Place round crackers closely together in a random overlapping pattern to emulate cobblestone streets.
03 - Nestle assorted pitted olives into the spaces between crackers to create a mortar effect.
04 - Optionally, sprinkle chopped fresh herbs and crumbled cheese evenly over the top.
05 - Drizzle extra virgin olive oil lightly over the platter to enhance flavor and sheen.
06 - Present immediately as an interactive and visually appealing appetizer centerpiece.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's a conversation starter that happens to be delicious—your guests will spend five minutes just admiring it before diving in.
  • Zero cooking required means you can throw it together in the time it takes to set the table.
  • The combination of salty olives, crispy crackers, and optional cheese creates enough flavor contrast to keep people reaching back.
02 -
  • Pit your olives beforehand or warn your guests—nothing ruins a beautiful moment like an unexpected pit.
  • Build this as close to serving as possible because crackers start to soften the moment the olives' moisture hits them, usually within thirty minutes.
03 -
  • If you're making this ahead, assemble just the cracker base and keep the olives, herbs, and oil separate, then assemble everything ten minutes before guests arrive.
  • The most realistic cobblestone effect comes from choosing crackers and olives in varying sizes and colors—one type of each looks flat, but a mix creates actual visual interest.
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