We’re very invested in Happy Cocktail at the Tree House here at Glover Gardens, that time at the end of the day that signifies work is over and it’s time for relaxation and reflection. On weekends, we usually have a snack with our libations.
But nothing too taxing or time-consuming; that would defeat the purpose.
We had delicious, easy platters the last two nights that I just have to share with you. Both were built around seafood.
Friday
On Friday, it was a “surf and surf” approach. The Grill-Meister had made a delicious shrimp and pesto grilled cheese panini the night before (Sandwich Wednesday had moved to Thursday). He roasted the shrimp using this recipe:
And happily, there was some left. Yay! A protein anchor for our platter.
We’ve been craving sardines, so we cracked open a tin of wonderful Gonidec Sardines in Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil with Basil & Thyme from France, that we got from The French Farm here in Houston (they do online orders!). I was sooooo glad we had this treat in the pantry, waiting for the right moment. A second protein for our platter.
I didn’t do much else—just grabbing a few cubes of cheese for contrast, a few grape tomatoes for freshness and color, some crackers to use as delivery devices, and a few sprigs of herbs to bring the brightness of spring. It was the official first day of spring, and what a lovely, lovely day it was. Oh, and the Dijon mustard. We never have sardines without Dijon; it would be almost sacrilegious!
Take a look at the finished product, which took less than 5 minutes to produce because we had all the goods on hand. Use what you’ve got is my favorite way to create in the kitchen, and it’s why I try to always have a fridge and pantry full of good stuff for throwdown celebrations, even if only for two people.
Some festive plates and napkins, along with our beverages of choice, and just like that, we had a party. My sparkling wine went very well with the salty sardines.
Saturday
The Grill-Meister made his famous wood-smoked salmon on Saturday, which handed me another delicious protein for our appetizer platter. If you have a smoker, check out his recipe. Actually, it’s so good that if you don’t have one, you might want to get one—and then check out his recipe. 😎
So once again, I had the goods! Moist, tender, home-smoked salmon, just waiting to be the star of an appetizer platter for a party of two at the Glover Gardens Tree House.
This platter was even easier than Friday’s. We had one big, beautiful piece of salmon, crackers for the delivery device, grapes and grape tomatoes for freshness and color, cocktail onions for a flavor pop, a bit of serrano ranch dressing, and a few sprigs of oregano for garnish.
The tangy, briny bite of the cocktail onions was a perfect balance to the smoky, peppery salmon, and the slightly spicy ranch added a creamy contrast—though honestly, the salmon was so good we barely needed it.
Add in our libations of choice and some adorable sloth napkins, and once again…instant celebration.
The Bottom Line
It doesn’t take hours in the kitchen or a long list of ingredients to create an appealing, delicious appetizer platter. Just have some good things on hand and use what you’ve got.
When building your platter, think about:
- taste
- color
- texture
- and a little variety in each
You don’t need these exact ingredients, either. Smoked oysters or other smoked fish would be wonderful. Swap in different fruits or sliced vegetables, or trade the cocktail onions for olives.
Simple, flexible, festive—that’s the goal.
©️ 2026, Glover Gardens
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Where are the beets?
NO beets, ever!