I love a dish that’s simple to prepare, yet presents with such elegance everyone assumes you’ve toiled all afternoon in the kitchen.  The sort of culinary sleight of hand that leaves a cook quietly smiling, as diners gush with equal amounts of enthusiasm and incredulity. Having a few such tricks tucked away in your recipe box will save you in a pinch.

Antipasto is one.  What?  Cold cuts on a plate?  Really?  I sense your skepticism.  Could be pretty dreary, it’s true.  But this where we trust the Italians.  Antipasto is, after all, their classic.  And few classics are anything but fabulous when done properly.  Really.

First off, choose a pretty platter.  Antipasto can be as simple or complex as you choose, but either way, it deserves the proper canvas.  Now take a peek in the pantry and fridge.  Open a jar of olives.  Add fresh mozzarella from a tub or tangy goat cheese from a shrink-wrapped package.  Pile each one, side by side.  Add sliced raw vegetables, from the garden or farm bag.  Cured meats like proscuitto or salami look fabulous on the plate, if you’re so inclined.  Slice a crusty baguette and toast the hunks, brushed with olive oil.

You’re nearly done, but not quite.  The flourish is in the finishing—that’s what makes antipasto more than just cold cuts on a plate.  Drizzle the works with the finest olive oil and balsamic vinegar you’ve got.  It’s a good idea to tuck a special bottle or two away in the cupboard—a splurge that seems outrageous, at twenty-five dollars a pop.  Don’t waste it in cooking.  Use it to embellish the antipasto.  Same goes for salt—a sprinkling of fancy, coarse crystals called Fleur de Sel.  Not the girl under the umbrella.  Please.

At this point you can call it an evening. Or crank up the oven and roast some vegetables.  Peppers, beets, potatoes, carrots, onions—even string beans—all lightly coated in olive oil.  When they’re tender, mound each on the platter.  Don’t be surprised if you find yourself whirring up a batch of fresh pesto next.  The beauty of the platter inspires.  Yet this antipasto is memorable even without the extras, so stick to unscrewing jars if you prefer—just be sure to focus on quality.  This is not the platter for marginal goods.

Whatever you do, include plenty of oozy, sweet summer tomatoes.  Their juice flows with the olive oil and vinegar creating an impossibly fragrant puddle that simply begs to be sopped up with bread.  Or spooned over cheese.  Roasted peppers or potatoes.

Antipasto translates to before the meal.  But don’t be surprised if before the meal becomes simply, THE MEAL.  This can easily happen, because there’s nothing more needed.  You’ll find endless combinations of bites to try.  Sublime ones.  Really.

A glass of wine couldn’t hurt though.

Summer Antipasto

Look for fresh mozzarella in the deli section of most grocery stores.  It’s floats in liquid-filled tubs and must be enjoyed quickly, as compared to aged cheeses.  Sun-dried tomato or a simple basil or herb pesto is nice.  Serve the composed platter at the table with a basket of bread.  Offer each diner a small plate, and the freedom to assemble ingredient combinations of their own design—either on bread or eaten with a fork (or hands).  Be sure to sop up all the juices from the platter with hunks of bread.  That’s the best part.

Don’t be put off by the length of the ingredient list.  You can use all or only a few of the suggestions.  Just don’t forget the finishing flourishes.

Servings vary

Ingredients:

• Heirloom tomatoes, sliced
• Sliced fresh mozzarella cheese or soft goat cheese (or your other favorite cheeses)
• Sliced proscuitto, salami or other Italian cured meats (optional for the meat-eater)
• Raw vegetables (for instance carrots, celery, green onions, radishes, bell pepper, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce leaves), sliced or left whole if small in size
• More vegetables (for roasting), sliced or cut into cubes (onion, bell pepper, carrot, peeled beets, potatoes, string beans, broccoli, cauliflower)
• High quality extra virgin olive oil
• Assorted whole or pitted olives
• Lemon peel
• Garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• Whole sprigs of thyme
• A pinch of red pepper flakes
• Pesto, freshly made or store bought (the best you can find)
• Jarred artichokes hearts (optional)
• Aged balsamic vinegar
• Fleur de Sel salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• Fresh herbs such as basil, arugula, parsley, dill or chives
• Crusty bread such as ciabatta, baguette or an Italian loaf, sliced

Method:

1. Arrange tomato slices in one corner of a large platter.  Mound cheeses and/or meats to one side.  Add raw vegetables, each one in it’s own pile.
2. If roasting vegetables, coat lightly with olive oil, then bake at 400 degrees until tender.  Consider placing each vegetable on it’s own baking sheet (or each separated to one side of a baking sheet) since they’ll cook at different rates.  Remove vegetables from oven and place each one on the platter, side by side.
3. Add olives as is, or if you’d like to dress them up, place into a small saucepan with enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan in half an inch of oil.  Add some lemon peel, a few garlic cloves, thyme sprigs and red pepper flakes.  Warm the oil for 5 minutes over low heat, then turn heat off and let the olives marinate and cool.  Place on the platter with herbs, garlic and lemon.
4. Spoon some pesto into a small bowl and position on the platter.  Add artichoke hearts if you like, especially imported, grilled ones.
5. Drizzle the platter contents with a generous glug or two of olive oil.  Add some balsamic vinegar on the tomatoes and other raw vegetables.  Sprinkle the entire lot with salt, freshly ground pepper, and plenty of fresh herbs.
6. Toast or grill bread (lightly brushed with oil), or leave it untoasted if you prefer and serve in a basket.