Sometimes, you get home from work and can’t even begin to think about making dinner, despite hearing your stomach roar.
Do you give up, and order out? Do you flop on the couch with a king-size popcorn for “dinner?” While these can both be acceptable from time to time, a simpler option can be to pour yourself a glass of wine, assemble a two second antipasti platter for you and your dining partner, and slowly unwind while the flavors and possibilities of dinner float across your mind (while your immediate hunger is abated). Time for antipasti.
We swear this antipasti platter takes two minutes to make, and will keep you going until you can muster up a real dinner.
The long August days of summer have arrived. In a continuation of our zucchini posts this summer (also found here, here, and here), we create a fresh salad perfect for lunch or a side.
Antipasti is a must for Italians. Simple to pull together, it gives the palate an array of flavors to choose from before the main meal. Often, what goes on an antipasti platter takes a matter of minutes to prepare, which can bide you some time if the main course is a bit more labor intensive than anticipated.
Three tips to start:
The base, of course, is a beautiful platter on which to arrange your sampling of pre-meal foods. Here at Via Umbria, we suggest five different types of decorative serving piecesto begin your meal with a “wow” factor.
Unless you’re planning a party with lots of guests, keep the antipasto simple so you don’t crowd out the main meal.
The fragrance and appearance of the food that you serve is important, so blending flavors, aromas and colors will make for the most interesting antipasto platters. Having a beautiful and colorful ceramic base certainly can’t hurt either!
FISH TRAYS
Ricco Deruta Fish Tray
Our long fish trays are one of our favorite platters because they are very narrow, fitting perfectly down the center of your table for maximum access!
Our circular cake plates, and square platters are well suited for bruschetta and artichokes, as they are smaller and easy to pass. We always have fresh bread, paired with easy spreads on the table as well.
Toasted bread and Olio Novello makes a surprisingly tasty antipasto
DECORATIVE BOWLS
Beautifully painted ceramic bowls are perfect for containing a loose salad. We love like something created with beans or farro, which add a bit of texture and protein to your spread.
While we put our cheese on the fish tray or square platter, our condiment bowls, are filled with complementary jams nearby. And who could forget the obligatory olives!
Use this guide as a launching off point, but don’t forget to get creative with what is in season around you! Throwing on some fresh vegetables is an easy way to complement the preserved antipasti straight from Italy, which we stock.
The next time you need to create and antipasti platter in a hurry, think Via Umbria! Shop our ceramics and antipasti today!
