Recently, after a long drive, Chuck and I arrived home and really didn’t feel like cooking. I happened to have most of the ingredients for a great antipasto on hand, so this is what I threw together. Granted, all together, this looks like a lot of work to start from scratch, but the components can all be used in a variety of combinations.
From bottom left, in clockwise order:
- Anchovies – just plain old canned flat fillets in oil
- Canellini bean paste: I make a couple variations of this, but it’s essentially, cannelini beans (fresh or canned), garlic or a garlic scape, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, herbs to taste. I recommend thyme or an Italian mix. You can cook the garlic and beans together first or just mix everything together in the food processor.
- Pesto: made with homegrown basil and garlic from my garden
- Roasted garlic and stuffed cherry peppers (storebought)
- Breaded, sauteed artichoke hearts
- Grilled, marinated asparagus: olive oil, balsamic, garlic, salt, pepper
- Roasted red peppers
- Caponata – my dad’s recipe is a great balance of sweet and savory (see below for details)
All served on a bed of farm-grown arugula. Throughout, there is also shaved parmigiano regiano cheese and sliced sourdough bread. How else would you scoop up all those delicious goodies?
Caponata:
1 small eggplant
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, diced
1/4 yellow onion
1 t. sugar
1-2 T. red wine vinegar
salt, pepper to taste
1/8 c. golden raisins, modify to avoid making it too sweet for your taste
1-2 T. capers
2 T. toasted pine nuts
3 T. balsamic vinegar
1-2 T. olive oil
Thickly slice an eggplant, salt and drain in a colander lined with paper towel. (2-3 hours)Chop into cubes.Sauté, garlic, celery, onions and eggplant in olive oil for 10 minutes. Add sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Add golden raisins and capers. Cook 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat; add toasted pine nuts and some balsamic vinegar. Cool and refrigerate for a day.