Ina Garten’s Go-To Mezze Platter Is the Flavor-Packed Fall Appetizer Guests Will Love—Here's How to Make It

What do you do when you don't know what to cook? Follow Ina Garten’s advice, of course.

The renowned cook and author is known for her hosting tips, as she’s no stranger to dinner parties, cocktail parties, and everything in between. And for the end of summer and beginning of fall, when fresh produce is still in season and nobody feels like turning on the oven, Garten has a special dish she whips up for her cocktail party guests: a mezze platter.

Think of a mezze platter as the Mediterranean version of a charcuterie board. You need all the same essentials of dips, cheeses, breads, greens, and brine—but Garten’s perfect mezze platter focuses on classic and fresh Mediterranean snacking staples. Here's all she puts on the board, plus add-ons if you're looking to impress.

How to Make Ina Garten's Mezze Board

To start, Garten lays fresh fig leaves over her charcuterie board to help keep the ingredients separate from the wood. She first arranges hummus, blocks of feta cheese, and baba ganoush on the board. If you were thinking Garten opted for homemade dips, think again—Garten has no shame about taking the store-bought approach. 

Garten dresses up each store-bought ingredient to make it feel homemade (and look prettier). She slices the feta cheese into thick squares, drizzles them with high-quality olive oil, and sprinkles them with dried herbs. To her hummus, she adds pine nuts and more olive oil, and decorates it with fresh pomegranate seeds. 

For the brine, Garten opts for Kalamata olives. These Greek olives are salty and slightly smoky, and are great for pairing with soft cheeses or fresh herbs. Garten serves them as-is, though you can certainly use more olive oil, herbs, and garlic to make a little dressing for them.

Filling and Brightening the Platter

To brighten up the board, Garten adds fresh cherry tomatoes (with the vine still attached). They make the mezze platter look even more delicious, and are also great for providing a little bit of sweetness to complement the board’s other offerings.

Stuffed grape leaves and cucumber spears fill in a few other blank spaces on the board. Then, Garten finishes off the platter with toasted pita bread cut into triangles—the perfect shape and texture for dipping. She also adds some sourdough for variety—and don’t forget the glass of rosé she pours for herself afterwards, either. 

Tips from Garten's Comments Section

Commenters were obsessed with Garten’s mezze board. “Definitely a favorite of mine to serve,” said one fan in Garten’s Instagram comments.

Others had a few helpful tips they use when creating their own mezze boards at home. "I suggest using jarred grape leaves from the grocery store if you don’t have fresh fig leaves," one commenter said. Drain the jarred leaves, unrolling them and patting them dry to use in place of Garten's fresh fig leaves.

Another commenter recommends grilling the pita in a grill pan if you're up to the task. Just "...brush [with] seasoning and olive oil," the commenter added.

"You can use lemon or fig leaves; check with a florist to see if they carry them," one Instagram user recommended in response to numerous comments wondering where they're supposed to source fresh fig leaves from.