A simple platter of prosciutto, smoked salmon and tasty condiments turns Happy Cocktail at the Tree House into an accidental summer dinner for two.

Everything you need to create a generous smorgasbord-style grazing meal, from meats, cheeses, seafood, fruit, breads and spreads to little extras that make it feel special. Whether you’re feeding two people or twenty, celebrating something big or simply being alive, a smorgasbord turns grazing into a feast.

A colorful fruit grazing board created for our dear friend Dewey’s Celebration of Life, inspired by my mom’s entertaining wisdom and designed to convey abundance, hospitality, and the joy of sharing food together.

The results of an experiment with holly and yaupon holly berries as an accent for a beautiful holiday appetizer platter.

Joy comes from connecting with other people, especially when you get to participate in their special moments, like my recent opportunity to contribute a vegetable grazing board to the menu for a 95th birthday party. Check it out and learn from my experience.

We love an appetizer platter here at Glover Gardens, and this one with cold-smoked salmon and caviar was elegant, quick to assemble and delicious. Get the recipe here.

A well-worn family cookbook, Great Tastes from the Texas Coast, provides my late Mom’s guidance for antipasto success.

A rosemary wreath dresses up the standby party platter of cheese, salami and olives.

For us, Family Smorgasbord is a mashup of little bites of stuff we like. They don’t have to go together or have the same culinary roots. They just need to taste good.