I am a huge fan of the antipasto platter. Whether I am lounging in my outdoor living room with the sun on my face, or cuddled in front of my fire wrapped in a blanket, I love the indulgent feeling I get as I sit with a glass of wine in my hand and a plate full of yummy goodies in front of me. Antipasto literally means "before the meal" in Italian (I am convinced everything sounds better in Italian!). Most of us associate the word to mean a platter of meats, cheeses, and pickled veggies.
I often put together a vegan platter for parties and potlucks, but recently decided to put together one just for me while I was hanging out on a weekday evening. It ended up being my dinner! It was fairly light with all of the veggies and because of the "pick and eat" fun of an antipasto plate, I ate over the course of two hours, so I didn't end up feeling stuffed or deprived. Have I convinced you to make one of these for yourself yet? Here are a few ideas of what to put on yours, straight from my platter:
- Olives: Black, green, kalamata, garlic stuffed, marinated in rosemary and olive oil...in Stephanie's world, I could make a whole platter of olives!
- Artichoke hearts: I am a huge fan of the marinated variety, or make up your own batch by draining a can of hearts in water, drizzling with olive oil, rosemary, sea salt, and thyme.
- Marinated mushrooms
- Cornichons
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Roasted bell peppers
- Vegan cheese: I like to slice up a few pieces of the soy mozzarella from Trader Joe's
- Field Roast grain meats: These are delicious!
- Almonds: Marcona, roasted, seasoned, pick your fancy. These are a great complement to the veggies.
- Crackers: I like to use whole grain varieties. Serve these alongside the cheese and grain meats. Yum-O!
So, what's on your antipasto platter? Please share!
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