Antipasto

There are 2 reasons why I love Antipasto...The first is I love food I can pick at over a long period of time (or at least I try to make it last a long period of time!), helping myself to little bits of this and that individually, or putting a few things together. The second reason is that Antipasto can be as simple or complicated as you like! Now when I say complicated I don't really mean that, more so just that you can spend a bit more time preparing it, or you can just buy things from a local deli and put it all together on a plate. It is ideal picnic and lunch food, perfect for a casual Italian starter or a light main course enjoyed outside in the garden with a cold glass of sparkling Prosecco! When it comes down to it, Italian food has to be my all time favourite as there are just so many flavours that I love and so antipasto is a perfect course for me.

Below is a list of some of my favourite Antipasti dishes (this list is likely to grow over time!). For a special treat try making it yourself but if you are in a hurry nip down to your local Italian deli and let them do all of the work for you!

• Selection of cured meats and salami
• Marinated olives
• Mozzarella with Chilli (see below)
• Garlic & White Wine Mushrooms (similar to my Mushroom Bruschetta recipe but I add more wine to make more of a sauce!)
• Marinated artichokes
• Roasted Peppers
• Grilled Zucchini with Lemon & Basil (see below)
• Asparagus wrapped in Parma Ham with Cheat's Aioli (see below)
• Tapenade
• Artichoke & Pesto Dip with Crostini
• Vine-ripened cherry tomatoes or Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
• Best quality Parmesan cheese or other Italian cheese of choice
• Fresh crusty bread
• Good quality Extra virgin olive oil & balsamic vinegar 

So what are you waiting for? This weekend buy and make some of your favourite things and either pack a picnic or enjoy a nice leisurely relaxed lunch in the garden. You'll be happy you did!

Mozzarella with Chilli

Probably my favourite way to eat Mozzarella! This is simply just the same as my Mozzarella & Chilli Bruschetta but without the bread. For the photograph above (which is what I made a week ago for my Mother-in-laws Birthday) I bought some bocconcini and served them 3 ways. The first was with Chilli; the second I tossed with some pesto which I thinned down a little with some extra virgin olive oil and finally the third was served with just a sprinkling of some black lava sea salt which I was lucky enough to get from my sister-in-law Kim after a holiday to Hawaii! All 3 were delicious so why not try doing the same or using your favourite salt and see which one is your favourite?!

Grilled Zucchini with Lemon & Basil

Another incredibly quick and super easy recipe (which is just what we want!) and again similar to my Zucchini Salad only this time I cut the zucchini a little thicker and grill them on the barbecue or griddle pan. If you go for the Grilled option just toss the sliced zucchini in a little olive oil before grilling, then finish as with the salad with a spritz of lemon juice then a sprinkling of Maldon salt, fresh chilli and plenty of fresh basil.

Asparagus Wrapped in Prosciutto

Again this is pretty much identical to my recipe for Baked Brie served with Asparagus & Prosciutto, however here since the asparagus I bought were younger and thinner I bundled them together to make little parcels. Everything else applies though - wrap, grill, then finish with a spritz of lemon juice and some seasoning. Delicious! - especially when served with my Cheat's Aioli or for an extra treat with the Baked Brie.