Kelly Dreher
Down-to-earth Diva of all things
of the dinner and drinks variety.
General Board Ingredients:
A Crusty Rustic Bread
ANY assorted meats, cheeses, olives and/or pickled vegetables like artichokes, red peppers and pepperoncinis you like!
Today I used:
Rosemary Sourdough from Whole Foods (because it's to die for)
1 oz. Fresh mozzarella
1 oz. Pavino cheese
1 oz. Asiago (NOT the aged kind)
1 oz. Gouda
Kalamata olives
Spiced Greek green olives
Calabrese salami
Parma Prosciutto (thinly sliced Italian ham)
Napoli salami
Dipping Oil Ingredients: (Add them in order and stir frequently before and during eating)
A liberal shake of:
pepper
salt
garlic powder
onion powder
dried parsley
dried oregano
dried basil
red pepper flake
parmesan cheese
*Then fill the container up with about 1/4 cup of good extra virgin olive oil.
(I used Whole Foods' "Seville" Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil.)
*Note: ONLY use olive oil for this. Also, make sure your oil says "Extra Virgin." OH! And don't bother with "light" olive oils. You don't get that fruity, lively olive oil taste, not to mention olive oil is extremely good for you! Cut calorie corners elsewhere. Don't skimp on the good stuff. Don't look like an amateur. :)
Serving Suggestion: Lay this all out in a way that looks pretty and sprinkle with dried oregano and parsley. It's gorgeous! I love serving this on a rustic looking old wooden board my in-laws found. It speaks to the earthiness of this type of food. This is the food my Sardinian ancestors lived on, and I love serving it on a platter that harkens back to that. Drizzle that dipping oil over the meats, the cheeses, the veggies, make little sandwiches, whatever you want!
Tweaking Tip: Anything really works here. I switch it up every time I make this. The other day I did a little bowl of fig preserves, bleu cheese crumbles and pita chips. Literally, anything goes. It's whatever you have on hand. That's the beauty of this dish! Manga!
While you may have found this classic antipasti platter in the "Getting Fancy" section, it's actually a lazy girl's best friend - no cooking involved! In fact, this is often our go-to Saturday lunch, our quick fix for friends coming over or even our hectic weeknight dinner. In fact, it's a great meal for one if your guy is working late. Add a little wine (red, white or rose- it doesn't matter!) and you'll feel like you're fancy, even when you're just too exhausted to pull out the skillet and whip something up! We have this several times a week in our house at some point in the day or another. (And let's be real- After the party it's the after party and after that party it's... the antipasti party. AKA- we love noshing on this late night after having drinks out with each other or friends.) Cheers!
Italian Antipasti Board