Antipasti Fantasia (with lime vinaigrette)

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 2 pointed peppers, red
• 2 pointed peppers, yellow
• 3 tomatoes, vine or flavoring
• 1 zucchini
• 4 cloves garlic (dried)
• 2 shallots
• 2 mushrooms (brown)
• 5 stalk(s) asparagus (green)
• 6 broccoli, in florets
• ½ onion(s), red
• 1 spring onion(s)
• 1 tbsp butter
• 100 ml olive oil
• 4 sprigs of thyme
• 2 sprigs of oregano
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 80 g Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano in one piece)
• 2 tbsp vermouth, Noilly Prat (French vermouth)
• 3 tbsp white wine (dry)
• 2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted (for garnishing)
• 8 packs of basil
• ½ pack of cress (for garnishing)
• 4 slices of toast or Ciabatta Rustica
• 1 lime(s), organic
• 5 tbsp rapeseed oil or olive oil
• 1 tsp white balsamic vinegar
• 10 stalks of chives
• 8 basil leaves (for garnishing)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 pinch of sea salt (from the mill)
• 1 pinch(s) white pepper (from the mill)

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Rest time approx. 2 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 3 hours 20 minutes

Mediterranean starter with side dish vinaigrette

My antipasti version may seem a bit complicated to prepare, but it can hold its own against store-bought stuff from an Italian deli, and the addition of the vinaigrette gives it a special touch. Preheat the oven to its highest setting (280°C, or grill setting 2 if available). Wash the peppers and halve them lengthwise, removing the seeds and cores. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the peppers, cut-side down, on the sheet. Place them on the top rack of the oven for 5-7 minutes until they are well browned. Even if the peppers turn black in places, the roasted aromas will give the flesh a special flavor. To make peeling easier, wrap the cooked peppers in a freezer bag or plastic wrap for 10-15 minutes, then peel them. Once cooled, halve the pepper fillets again and place them in a large baking dish or similar (the container should be large enough to generously accommodate all the ingredients). Blanch the tomatoes for 2-3 minutes and then rinse them in cold water, otherwise they will become mush. Peel and core the tomatoes, remove the inner fruit jelly, quarter them and arrange them on top of the pepper strips in the dish. Trim the lower (often dried-out) ends of the asparagus spears by 1 cm, peel the asparagus stalks 3/4 of the way down from the bottom and cut into pieces about 4 cm long. Separate the florets from the broccoli (store the stalk in cling film in the refrigerator, e.g. for vegetable stock). Blanch the asparagus and broccoli separately for 2 minutes in boiling water; rinse in ice water and drain. Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a non-stick pan. Peel and slice the garlic and shallots and sauté in the oil and butter mixture. Remove the shallots and garlic from the pan and add them to the dish. Leave the flavored butter and oil mixture in the pan and brown the sliced ​​zucchini and mushrooms; remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper. Peel and finely slice the red onion and spring onion, then arrange them in the dish along with the asparagus, broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, and the rosemary, oregano, and thyme sprigs. Drizzle with Noilly Prat and white wine, arrange broad shavings of Parmesan cheese on top, and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Cover the antipasti with cling film and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving (garnish with basil leaves, pine nuts, and cress – see ingredients). *Tip: Instead of using a large kitchen knife, you can use a swivel peeler to cut the Parmesan cheese into very thin slices/shavings. Lime Vinaigrette: Wash the lime in hot water and grate the zest using either a zester or a fine grater. Combine the oil, balsamic vinegar, and sugar in a bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper. Finely chop the chives and finely slice the basil leaves. Combine the lime zest and herbs with the juice of one lime half and the oil and vinegar mixture. This wonderfully refreshing vinaigrette is perfect not only as a special dressing for antipasti or salads, but also as a dip for cooked fish or beef carpaccio.