In a world of unrest and big decisions looming on the horizon, there is a ton of stuff to be ‘anti’ about but not anti antipasto… In fact, I’m pro antipasto all the way 🙂 It confronts the issues of lack luster flavor and textural single-mindedness, with a bold herbaceous marinade, spicy pickled pepper and a variety of textures from crispy crunchy to soft and creamy.
This recipe for a Mixed Antipasto was originally published in Gourmet Magazine in November of 1991. Do you remember Gourmet Magazine? Well regardless, moving on… the magazine is not the point of this blog post.
You may know this about me (or not)… I love recipes that allow for creativity. Antipasto is just such a recipe. The variations are endless. Antipasto truly is an anything goes recipe . Well maybe not exactly anything (chicken feet… not) but you get my drift, right?
And speaking of goes…antipasto holds up very well which makes it terrific to take along on a picnic, add it to the nibbles for a wine tasting excursion, or as I plan to do add a quart jar to the provisions for the next camping trip.
I intentionally omit the cured meat called in the original Gourmet recipe for a few reasons. One, I feel the mix lasts longer without the meat. Two, without the meat antipasto is vegetarian-friendly, and I would hate for a vegetarian to miss out on a wonderful bite because I had thoughtlessly included the meat! And finally, a bowl placed on a charcuterie board is a nice addition, so meat-lovers load up on the salty cured deliciousness there!
The bright herbaceous marinade is sure to delight your taste buds. Oregano, rosemary, basil… YUM tastes of Italy! I substitute fresh herbs when I have them. If you do the same, remember that the approximate ratio of fresh to dried herbs is 3:1. You want the marinade to hit all those herbaceous notes and dried herbs are more potent then fresh.
Whatever you toss into your antipasto and wherever you take it… I hope you enjoy it.
Not Anti Antipasto… thanks for visiting Palatable Life.
Be inspired,
Diane