Martinis and Antipasto

When you are preparing a great Martini party, you want a decent selection of companions to bring out the flavors of your drinks and to encourage conversation. By pairing a southern-italian antipasto plate with your martinis you will create a variety to please the pickiest crowd while staying within the flavor-theme of the drink itself.

Antipasto plates can be served with six to sixty different offerings. What is great about it is you can have finger-friendly items for your guest like olives, cheese, crackers, salami, greens and more and serve it as elegant or simple as you see fit.

I prefer to use a southern-italian flair whe preparing antipasto to go with a savory martini. Here are a few recipes I use in addition to a variety of meats, cheeses, olives and veggies on my platter.

You will want to prep these two days in advance of your party.

Pickled Mushrooms
Clean 1qt. mushrooms with a paper towel or small brush, just to get the dirt off.

Place mushrooms in pan and cover with equal parts white vinegar and hot water.
Bring this mixture to a boil, then continue to boil 5 minutes. Drain liquid and reserve mushrooms.
After the mushrooms cool, pack in a jar with the following:
1/4c olive oil
2t. salt
2. peppercorns
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1t. mace
Then cover the mushrooms with white vinegar. Close lid on jar and store in fridge for two days, then serve cold.

Pickled Carrots
Wash and julienne 6 medium carrots.
Cook carrots and drain, then cool.
Put them in a jar for now.
Combine:
2T olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 hot pepper (jalapeno)
1/2 t salt
Pour over carrots, then cover with white vinegar and close jar. Store in fridge two days then serve cold.

Combine the above recipes on your platter with meats like salami, prosciutto and capocollo all sliced thin. Then add vegetables like fresh pepper slices, olives, radishes, celery, artichokes with lemon, fennel and tomatoes. Decorate the platter using lettuces like romaine, endive or chicory. Some people like to add hard-cooked eggs sliced with pieces of tuna, sardines or anchovies around stuffed olives. Don't forget a good selection of hard and soft cheese and you are well on your way to a great martini party.
Enjoy!