As noted in yesterday’s post, this quarter’s Gourmet Club theme was Italian.
Three of the couples live within several miles of each other and the other couple, the host for this dinner, lives all the way across town. The three couples decided to carpool (1 designated driver….and it wasn’t me!) together and when the salad made it into the van, it very nearly didn’t make it out as there were six people eyeing it all the way there.
This salad was huge. The platter was a two foot square behemoth and when it was first unveiled, no one at the table thought we’d get through even half of it. Boy were we wrong. It was so good that there were only scraps left at the end.
Antipasta Salad
Prep Time: 20 mins |Â Cook Time: 0 hr 0 min | Servings: 8 | Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients:
- 2 heads romaine lettuce
- 1 head butter lettuce
- 1 bag of romaine, butter and radicchio mixed
- 1 can of marinated artichoke hearts
- 1 small can of black olives, sliced
- 1/2 red onion sliced thin
- 8 slices provolone
- 16 slices of hard salami
- 16 slices of spicy capicolla
- 1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- Sliced pepperoni to taste
- Fresh basil and parsley chopped and sprinkled in with lettuce
- 16 grape tomatoes halved
- Pearl sized mozzarella balls
- Pepperoncinis
- 4 Roma tomatoes, quartered
Directions:
Wash, dry and tear the lettuce. Mix all the lettuce. Sprinkle a little salt and dill on the leaves. Add a handful of chopped parsley and about 3 leaves of chopped basil to the mix. Lay 1/2 the lettuce mix on a platter. Layer 1 slice of provolone, 2 capicolla and 2 salami. Stack them together and slice into thin strips (cutting the long slices in halves or thirds). Repeat until all meat and cheese is used.
Add 1/2Â of the mozzarella balls, pepperoni, tomatoes, artichoke hearts (cut into thirds), pepperoni is, olives, garbanzo beans, and red onion. Repeat with the remaining lettuce then the other ingredients.
Serve with Italian dressing of your choice.
One of the coolest part of the salad were the Mini Caprese Salad Bites. I love Caprese salad and these mini ones on a toothpick were a great addition to the salad.
Mini Caprese Salad Appetizers
Prep Time: 10 mins | Cook Time: 0 hr 0 min | Servings: 5 | Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients:
- 20 grape tomatoes, halved
- 10 basil leaves, cut in half or 20 folded in half
- 20 pearl sized fresh mozzarella balls
Directions:
Use a toothpick and spear half a tomato, basil leaf, mozzarella ball and another half of tomato.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Optional: Mix 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar and 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil to use as a dipping sauce.
Rantings of an Amateur Chef 
Yum! thanks for sharing!
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What a wonderful meal! 🙂
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What a great “summertime” idea!
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One amazing salad!
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Antipasta looks really delicious! I love all the ingredients in it so I’ll have to make this one.
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Great post. Thanks for sharing.
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ur post always makes me hungry! hey chef, i am having a 2nd thank you giftaway and there are gifts for both men and women! would be honoured if you would join in or help spread the word… http://modgam.com/2012/06/28/my-2nd-thank-you-giveaway-come-join-everyone/
thanks!
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Reblogged this on calmyourbeans.
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