Antipasti Platter

Ingredients

• 1 pound assorted sliced deli meats (such as salami, spicy capocollo, prosciutto, mortadella, and bresaola)
• 1/2 pound Parmigiano-Reggiano, cut into irregular chunks
• Pinzimonio, recipe follows
• Marinated Olives, recipe follows
• Roasted Pepper Salad, recipe follows
• 1 loaf focaccia bread, sliced

Directions

Arrange the meats, cheeses, and foccacia on a large platter. Arrange a platter of Pinzimonio. Place the Marinated Olives and Roasted Red Pepper Salad in small serving bowls. Serve, allowing guests to compose their own assortment of antipasti on their plate.

Pinzimonio:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Assorted cut-up vegetables (such as carrots, celery, fennel bulb, radishes, red and orange bell peppers, and cherry tomatoes)

Stir the oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl to blend. Arrange the vegetables on a platter. Serve the vegetables with the dip.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Marinated Olives:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 cups Sicilian cracked green olives
• 1 1/2 cups kalamata olives
• 2 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves

Stir the oil, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes in a heavy small skillet over medium heat just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Add the olives and toss to coat. Add the basil; toss to coat. Serve.

Yield: 3 cups

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 minute

Inactive Prep Time: 12 hours

Roasted Pepper Salad:

• 3 red bell peppers
• 2 orange bell pepper
• 1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons drained capers
• 6 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the broiler. Cover a heavy baking sheet with foil. Arrange the bell peppers on the baking sheet. Broil until the skins brown and blister, turning the peppers over occasionally, about 15 minutes. Enclose the peppers in a resealable plastic bag. Set aside until cooled to room temperature, about 20 minutes.

Peel, seed, and cut the peppers into 1/2-inch thick strips. Toss the pepper strips, olives, oil, capers, basil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to combine. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days.