Vegetarian Antipasto

Name: Vegetarian Antipasto Platter
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: Extra virgin olive oil; Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 3 red capsicum; 3 yellow capsicum; 2 cloves garlic, crushed; 24 green asparagus spears, trimmed; Parmesan cheese, freshly shaved, to taste; 2 Mozzarella di Bufala, sliced; 2 Roma tomatoes, sliced; 12 or more small basil leaves; 12 eggs, hard boiled; ⅔ cup whole-egg mayonnaise; 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard; 2 tablespoons finely sliced chives; 6 anchovy fillets, halved lengthways; 12 salted capers, rinsed and dried

For many years I worked right up to 24 December, but still looked forward to a relaxed Christmas Day – remember it doesn’t have to be complicated to be delicious or impressive. I love our tradition of Christmas lunch in the garden with family and friends and, inspired by travels around the Mediterranean, I keep it super simple with platters of food down the centre of a long table. To this colourful array of vegetarian antipasto, I add cooked prawns with lots of lemon wedges; smoked salmon with caperberries, dill and thinly sliced red onion; sliced Kurobata Berkshire ham; Italian cold cuts (‘nduja, salami and salsiccia from Salumi Australia); a large tin of Ortiz anchovy fillets and bowls of Losada olives. Figs & Prosciutto make a great addition too, plus lots of crusty bread. The capsicum is best cooked the night before and the eggs can be boiled a day ahead (see video below for a version from America’s Deep South). In the morning, everything can be laid out on platters and covered in the fridge until the guests arrive. And of course, we’ll be drinking Aperol Spritz & Sbagliati.

Serves 12 as part of a shared table

Ingredients

Extra virgin olive oil
Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Peperonata (sautéed capsicum)

3 red capsicum
3 yellow capsicum
2 cloves garlic, crushed

Steamed Asparagus

24 green asparagus spears, trimmed
Parmesan cheese, freshly shaved, to taste

Insalata Caprese

2 buffalo mozzarella, sliced
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
12 or more small basil leaves

Devilled Eggs

12 eggs, hard boiled
⅔ cup whole-egg mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons finely sliced chives
6 anchovy fillets, halved lengthways
12 salted capers, rinsed and dried

Method

Peperonata (sautéed capsicum): Slice capsicum into strips about 1cm-thick, discarding seeds and membrane. Heat ¼ cup oil in a large frying pan, add garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then add capsicum and a good pinch of salt. Stir well, cover and cook over a low heat for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Set aside to cool in the cooking juices, then discard any loose pieces of skin. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours, preferably overnight.
Steamed Asparagus: Steam or blanch asparagus for a few minutes, until just tender. Drain well, toss with oil while still warm and set aside to cool. Arrange on a platter, sprinkle with salt and scatter with parmesan.
Insalata Caprese: Lay out a row of mozzarella slices on a platter, place a basil leaf on each one and top with a slice of tomato. Repeat with remaining Ingredients to make overlapping rows. Drizzle with a little oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Devilled Eggs: Peel eggs, halve lengthways and remove yolks to a bowl. Mash yolks with mayonnaise, mustard and salt, then stir through chives. Place in a plastic bag (such as a freezer bag), snip off the end and pipe the filling back into the whites. Arrange on a platter and decorate with strips of anchovy or capers.