I want to say this is for my cousin who is half Sicilian and I really was bending his ear about this in an email. However this really turned out pretty good and he loved my idea about how I made this. It is a mix of lots of yummy things and it is what I can say the Italian version of a chef’s salad. So hear we go without further adieu is my antipasto.
First wash and either cut or tear whichever is faster. I prefer to tear mine and best get a salad spinner to put your lettuce and other type of salad green in because you do not want a soggy antipasto. It would be yucky and won’t taste very good. I had 2 heads of lettuce and it can be of your choice to what you prefer except this ghastly romaine lettuce. Besides romaine was recalled onceand I haven’t eaten it eversince. This was a few years ago but hey if you want it go for it because it is your tummy it is going in and not mine. There is the red and green leafy kind of lettuce and I ended up getting green leafy this time around and some nice delicious buttery slightly bitter escarole. This is what I have used in my antipasto.
There is also the Boston baby lettuce which I am very fond of, iceberg which is a meep ok but I prefer this in a wedge salad and that is an older post of mine but if you want it. that is fine too. There is endive also which I also think it is a splendid idea. Arugula is another favorite of mine and deliciously peppery and I love it to bits. Add 1 to 2 cucumbers, 1 package of crimini mushrooms sliced thin, 5 mini sweet bell peppers and 1 handful of artichoke hearts which I didn’t have so that is why i did not add them, sigh. Add 1 handful of baby carrots julienned, 1 pint of cherry or grape tomatoes, 1 handful of olives besides the greek olives are the best here, 1 tsp of capers, 3 to 4 small dill pickles also known as ghirkens, 1 to 2 peperonchini peppers, 4 slices of zabiha halal salami and zabiha halal pastrami cut in to tiny pieces. Sadly they didn’t have this zabiha halal pastrami so I ended up adding a whole package of zabiha halal sliced pepperoni. Add 3 slices of zabiha halal mortadella in to tiny pieces.
Oh do not forget the Italian cheses please and I added 4 different kinds. Add 1 block of each of mozzerella, provolone, fontina, and asigo which gets cut in to small cubes. sprinkle 1 pinch each of rosemary, basil, oregano and thyme. Top with olive oil and either wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar or perhaps some lemon dressing and enjoy.
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