Summer is here and we only have a few months of beautiful weather before it all goes downhill. So this calls for a lot of potlucks, BBQs, and impromptu backyard dinner parties. Sometimes I just want to throw together easy appetizers without having to use too much brain power trying to be creative. Cured meats have always been a crowd pleaser. Pair it with some cheese or fruits and everybody will be impressed. An easy go-to is the charcuterie board – lay out a variety of cured meats, pate, specialty cheeses, crackers, and fruits! It looks beautiful and your guests won’t hesitate to pick at it.

To mix it up a little, I transformed my charcuterie board into tapas. Espuna made it super easy for me to choose which types of packaged cured meats to use in their Tapas Essentials line. On my tapas board, I put together 3 different combinations with a gluten-free option!

Biboa Salami on Toast
On thin slices of toasted (or untoasted) baguette, layer sliced mozzerlla, Espuna Tapas Essentials Biboa Salami with a few pieces of sliced medjool dates. Top it with a basil leaf for colour. The medjool date is an interesting and sweet surprise with the salty salami.

Barcelona Salami with Balsamic Reduction
Drizzle some balsamic reduction onto baguettes or crackers. Layer on Espuna Tapas Essentials Barcelona Salami and sprinkle with fresh parsley!

Barcelona Salami with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
Again, on a slice of baguette, spread some roasted red pepper hummus as the base, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, top with a couple pieces of Espuna Tapas Essentials Barcelona Salami and finish with parsley.

Gluten-Free Option
Wrap sliced medjool dates and basil with Biboa or Barcelona Salami and serve! It’s that easy.

Canitas
Scatter some Chorizo and Salami Canitas throughout the board, no prep needed!

I also scattered fresh basil, Ontario strawberries, pickled veggies, and Extreme Beans all over my board to accompany the yummy tapas. It was such a perfect starter for the backyard BBQ. Like, why snack on chips when you can get explosions of flavour from these tapas?! Hope you all have a fantastic summer. Let me know if you try these recipes. Comment below, tweet me pics, or tag me on Instagram.

Some of the products used were provided by Espuna Tapas Essentials, opinions expressed are my own.