My Antipasti misti 2.0

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 4 slices of white bread, e.g. Ciabatta, smaller slices, toasted
• 1 jar beans, white (cannellini) or ready-made cannellini from the can, approx. 220 g
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 10 sage leaves
• 1 garlic clove(s), finely diced
• 1 lime(s), juice
• salt and pepper
• 4 slice(s) white bread, Italian
• 2 bell peppers, red, inside removed, skin peeled, cut into small cubes
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp thyme flowers
• 1 garlic clove(s), finely diced
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper
• 500 g asparagus, green
• 50 ml cream
• 50 ml Parmesan, grated
• 4 tbsp, heaped breadcrumbs
• 1 organic lemon(s), peel
• 1 egg(s)
• 1 tsp, heaped butter
• salt and pepper
• 1 eggplant(s)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 rosemary sprig(s), very finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove(s), finely diced
• 200 g tomatoes, pureed from the can
• 4 tbsp Parmesan, grated
• 2 handfuls of chickpeas, dried
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 8 tomatoes, dried, cut into small cubes
• 1 handful of walnut kernels, finely chopped
• 1 spring onion(s), finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove(s), finely diced
• 1 pinch of chili powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 handful of mixed lettuce leaves, very finely chopped
• salt and pepper
• 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 4 pinches of sugar
• 12 small basil leaves
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp thyme flowers
• 100 g burrata (drained weight)
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 2 hours 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 12 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 45 minutes; Total time approx. 15 hours 15 minutes

6 mixed Italian appetizers at different temperatures

Crostini with white bean puree: To make the white bean puree, either soak the beans in water for 12 hours overnight and then cook them according to the package instructions until tender, or use a good canned version. Then, finely chop the sage leaves and gently fry them with the garlic in 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the beans and simmer gently for a few minutes with the lime juice. Season with salt and pepper, and roughly mash with a potato masher, then mix in the remaining tablespoon of oil. Toast the bread slices in the oven and spread the puree, cold, lukewarm, or hot, on the crostini. Bruschette with red pepper compote: To make the compote, hollow out the bell pepper, peel it, and cut it into small cubes. Cook the cubes in 1 tablespoon of oil, uncovered, at a moderate temperature. Towards the end of the cooking time, add the garlic, thyme, and balsamic vinegar. Season the compote with salt and pepper and blend briefly with a hand blender to remove any large pieces. Toast the bread in the oven or toaster and rub it with the remaining oil. Spread the compote, warm, lukewarm, or cold, onto the warm slices of bread. Green asparagus flan: You will need 4 ramekins, approximately 5-8 cm in diameter and 4-6 cm thick. For the asparagus flan, trim the woody ends of the asparagus spears. Cut the spears into small rolls, then cook them in salted water for about 5 minutes, depending on their thickness, then refresh in cold water. Cook the heads for an additional 2 minutes, also refresh in cold water, and set aside. Purée the asparagus rolls with the cream in a food processor until smooth and pass through a sieve. Add the Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, egg, and lemon zest and mix well. Rub the inside of the ramekins with the butter and pour in the mixture. Place the ramekins in a baking dish. Fill the dish with boiling water so that the ramekins are at least 3/4 full. Place in a preheated oven at 150°C for 35 minutes. Then let the ramekins rest for 10 minutes, cut around the outer edge once with a knife, and turn out the contents. Serve the asparagus flan lukewarm and place the asparagus heads on top. While there is no asparagus, make another flan, e.g. with zucchini, using the same recipe. Stuffed eggplant: Halve the eggplant lengthwise and scoop out the flesh, dice finely, and fry in 2 tablespoons of oil. Lightly rub the scraped eggplant halves with salt and set aside. Add the rosemary, garlic, and tomato puree to the diced eggplant, cook until cooked through, and season with salt and pepper. Dry the salted eggplant halves with kitchen paper, then pour in the cooked mixture, smooth it down, and cover with Parmesan cheese. Drizzle a little of the remaining tablespoon of oil over the eggplant and spread it on aluminum foil. Place the two halves on top. Fold in the edges of the foil slightly. Place the eggplants in the oven at 180°C (top/bottom heat) for 45 minutes. Check occasionally to make sure nothing is burning. Halve each half again. Chickpea salad: Soak the chickpeas in water for 12 hours, then cook with very little salt for about 40 minutes until al dente. Sauté all the other ingredients, except the lettuce leaves, in oil, add the chickpeas, and mix well. Season everything with salt and pepper and let cool slightly. Fold in the lettuce leaves. Serve the salad lukewarm. Caprese with braised tomatoes and burrata: Sprinkle the tomato halves with sugar and braise gently in oil with thyme and garlic for 15 minutes. Place the tomatoes on plates and let cool slightly. Place the burrata and basil on top. Drizzle the braised oil and thyme over the burrata. Season with salt and pepper.