Tag Archives: antipasti

Quick Wednesday Antipasti

antipasti

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.

antipasti platter

Assemble:

cherry tomatoes

green olives 

two types of cheese you have on hand

salami from Norcia

 

The thought of dinner still making you tired? Check out our 15 minute recipes:

Orange caprese salad 

Pasta with zucchini, tomato, and ricotta 

Trofiette with pesto 

Tagliatelle with mushrooms and sausage 

 

Ci Vediamo!

 

Via Umbria

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 ...

15 minute recipe: Tomato and Zucchini Salad

 

summer salad

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.

 

Ingredients:

One zucchini

One large tomato

Pistachios, to taste

1/2 cup feta cheese

Pistachio Pesto 

Sea Salt 

Olive oil 

 

Gather your ingredients at Emporio and then lets get chopping!

tomato summer salad Chop your zucchini…IMG_1429 And your tomato…IMG_1438 Barrage the pistachios IMG_1458

 

 

pistachio pesto

Assemble in your bowl, and sprinkle on some Sale di Cervia

summer salad umbria Add the pesto…IMG_1480

And the olive oil…

Italian ceramics, appetizers

And the cheese!

add the feta

 

This salad is perfect to serve as a side on a hot summer night, and then tuck into the refrigerator for lunch the next day.

 

Ci Vediamo!

 

Via Umbria

 

 

 

 

  The long August days of summer have arrived. In a continuation of our zucchini posts this summer (also found here, here, and here), ...

How to: Build the Perfect Antipasti Platter

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.

How to: Antipasti

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 pieces to 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 

Deruta Fish Tray
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!

Italian Cheese

Antipasti, Salumi, Olio Novello

We fill our tray with:

 

SMALLER PLATTERS 

Marinated Artichokes
Margherita Square Tray

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.

Cutting Bread

We fill our smaller platters with:

 

Toasted bread and Olio Novello makes a surprisingly tasty antipasto
Toasted bread and Olio Novello makes a surprisingly tasty antipasto

Bruschetta Italian Artichokes

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.

We fill our bowl with:

Umbrian Lentil Salad

CONDIMENT BOWL

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!

We fill our continent bowls with:

  • Nuts, usually pistachios
  • Apricot jam, to pair with Tallegio cheese
  • Many different types of olives

Truffle Honey

SUSHI TRAY 

IMG_5793

One catchall platter that always impresses is the sushi tray. The waves in this tray add a unique touch to the spread on your table.

We fill our sushi tray with:

Oh so many marinated vegetables

IMG_4674

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!

 

Ci Vediamo!

—Via Umbria

Antipasti is a must for Italians. Simple to pull together, it gives the palate an array of flavors to choose from before ...