Babes, it's the summer of outside and what better way to spend it than a Sunday drinking rose and snacking in the garden or on your balcony. Now you could go for a standard crisps and dip option, not that there isn't a time and place for that, but sometimes you want something that is a little more luxury. So we have got the best tips for making your perfect summer snack board. 

If you want to keep the calories light, combine sources of carbohydrates, proteins and fats to make sure it’s balanced for all tastes and no one leaves hungry. Think celery, carrot, cucumber, peppers and radishes served with hummus, moutabel and guacamole alongside fresh and dried fruit and crackers. 

If you want to include cheese or meat, go for options that can stand in the warmth without melting, becoming too oily or worse, giving your friends food poisoning. Harder cheeses like cheddar, parmesan, emmental or edam will be ideal. When it comes to choosing meat options, cured meats like prosciutto, chorizo, and bresaola all make for safer options. 

We still love the crisps and dip combination, but we’d elevate it up with the addition of olives, sun dried tomatoes, crusty bread and some french butter. It's a quick and easy way to pull something together that is filling and delicious if you don't have a lot of time. 

We’re big believers in over feeding friends and go for the piled on approach to snack boards but still keeping that presentation. Vegetables look best cut into batons, dips, crisps, nuts and olives in their own small bowls, cheeses in blocks, meats in thin slices for ease with separate serving utensils for each. 

Here is a list of our favourite ingredients ideal to create a summer snacking board. Choose a few from each category or include some favourites of your own. 

Meat and Fish - Smoked salmon, oysters, shrimp, pâté, prosciutto, pancetta, chorizo

Cheese - Gruyère, aged cheddar, gouda, emmental, gorgonzola, brie, danish blue, goats cheese, feta

Nuts, Crisps and Crackers - Almonds (lemon, salted or bbq), walnuts, roasted corn, macadamia, crisp breads, breadsticks, mini pretzels, salt and vinegar kettle chips, truffle crisps, ready salted crisps

Breads - Baguette, crusty seeded loaf, garlic bread, bread sticks, pita bread, sourdough 

Vegetables and Fruit - Cucumber, carrots, hearts of palm, sugar snap peas, radishes, sliced tomatoes and basil, figs, grapes, berries

Olives and Pickles - Turkish grilled olives, Kalamata olives, stuffed olives, harissa paste, pickled cucumbers, pickled garlic 

Extras - Dijon mustard, sweet chilli sauce, butter, olive oil, truffle salt, 

Sweet - Honeycomb, caramel popcorn, jam, honey, mini tarte au citron, chocolate covered raisins or nuts

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