Antipasto Skewers
Who wants to entertain and make a lot of complicated appetizers that take all day to complete? Any one? Bueller? We don’t either. One of my favourite summer entertaining plates is an antipasto and I fell in love when I saw this skewer idea from blogger Half Baked Harvest. Scarlett is a big fan of noshing on meats and cheese and so are many of her friends. In fact, whenever we’re entertaining, I have to fan the children away like flies from my platters of antipasto just so the adults are left with something to eat. It’s why I loved this idea. Instead of having everyone huddled over the platter cramming food into their mouths, these skewers allow guests (and children) to take a skewer or two and nibble away. And, when it comes to the kids, by “away” I mean leave the room.
Ok, that’s mean. I don’t toss the kids out of the room basically holding miniature knives. Or maybe I do. Either way, these skewers allow for casual grazing. The pesto also takes these nibbles over the top in flavour. And, as the host with definitely not the most (I easily get distracted or overwhelmed), I like that I don’t have to worry about making sure to keep passing the appetizer platter around the room. You can also freestyle these skewers to suit your family’s favourite nibbles or the theme of your evening. Try adding balls of fresh melon, marinated artichoke hearts, salami, grapes, dried apricots or other dried, soft fruits. If you prep the ingredients in advance, you can put them together right before your guests are due to arrive. Then all you’ll need to do is hunt down the skewers in your couch cushions at the end of the night because that’s where the kids put them when they’re done. Pro tip there, folks.
Photo by Ashley van der Laan
Ingredients
- Antipasto Skewers
- 4' wood skewers
- 2 cups cubed bread
- 2 cups cubed provolone cheese
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 12 pieces thinly sliced prosciutto
- 1 cup mini bocconcini
- 1 cup assorted olives, pitted
- 1 cup baby arugula
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- Spinach Basil Pesto
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 cup basil leaves
- 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan
- 1 cloves garlic, peeled and quartered
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Method
For the pesto
In a food processor, add the garlic to mince; then add the spinach, basil, parmesan, oil and salt and pepper. Puree until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Thread combinations of the ingredients onto skewers. Keep in mind the perfect bites with a mix of ingredients including the fresh basil or arugula.When adding the prosciutto or arugula and basil leaves, fold them into squares to make them easier to be added to the skewer.
Place skewers out on platter and drizzle with olive oil and serve with pesto for dipping.
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We're Ceri and Laura, a couple of magazine-editors-turned-food-bloggers. Also, we're mothers obsessed with delicious, healthy, family food. We're constantly thinking of ways to make your time (and our own!) in the kitchen easier and more productive, but still nostalgic for the days when dinner was cereal eaten over the kitchen sink.
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