My antipasti misti

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 2 eggplant(s)
• ½ bunch basil
• 3 m.-large zucchini, very firm
• ½ bunch mint
• 6 cherry tomatoes
• 2 bell peppers, red
• 2 bell peppers, yellow
• 2 tbsp capers
• 10 small artichokes, purple (Italian)
• 200 g sugar snap peas
• 1 slice(s) smoked salmon
• 1 kg asparagus, green, fresh (thin stalks)
• 6 walnuts, cracked and finely diced
• 400 g beans, white
• 10 sage leaves
• 500 g mushrooms, medium-sized
• 1 sprig(s) rosemary
• ½ liter olive oil, best
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp vinegar (white wine vinegar)
• 3 lemon(s), untreated, grated peel and juice
• 1 bulb(s) garlic
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 2 hours 30 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours 30 minutes

8 mixed cold Italian starters

Wash the eggplants and cut into even, approximately 3 mm thick slices. Place on a kitchen towel and season with sea salt. After 30 minutes, rinse off any juices and fry the eggplant slices in batches in hot olive oil. Place on a kitchen towel to remove any excess fat and season with pepper. Cover each eggplant slice with a wafer-thin slice of garlic and a basil leaf and carefully arrange five slices on a plate. Wash the zucchini, halve them, and cut lengthwise into approximately 3 mm thick slices. Season with salt and dry a little later. Fry on both sides in a little hot olive oil and season with pepper. Sprinkle with a little chopped mint and arrange three on top of each other on a flat dish. Wash the cherry tomatoes, halve them, and briefly fry them on the cut side in hot olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, then place them on top of the layered zucchini. Cut open the peppers, remove all innards, and cut each into 6 long pieces. Place skin-side up on a baking sheet and place under a very hot grill for about 20 minutes. Immediately cover with a damp cloth, let cool, and then peel off the skin. Mix oil and balsamic vinegar in a 2:1 ratio, season with salt and pepper. Add the capers and some of their juice, and toss with the peppers. Arrange on a plate. Generously remove the outer leaves from the artichokes. Trim off about 1/3 of the tips, then halve and blanch in a little salted water for about 4-5 minutes. Finish cooking in olive oil and a little garlic, drizzle with lemon juice every now and then. Season to taste with pepper and a little salt, if desired. Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley. Arrange on a plate, removing any remaining tough outer leaves. Clean the snow peas and blanch them in salted water for about 2 minutes. Then, cool them in iced water and toss them in a marinade made from olive oil and white wine vinegar in a ratio of 3:1, seasoning with pepper. Mix well with very finely chopped pieces of smoked salmon (about 0.5 cm x 0.5 cm) and place them on a plate. Soak the white beans overnight. The next day, increase the soaking water by 1-2 liters, add salt, and cook the beans in it for about 1.5 hours. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil, add 2 finely chopped garlic cloves. After 3 minutes, add 10 chopped sage leaves. Let everything steep, then toss with the juice of one lemon. Add the beans and arrange on a plate. Clean the mushrooms and sauté them whole in olive oil with 1 clove of garlic until lightly browned. The garlic shouldn’t brown, so add it a little later if necessary. Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with 1 teaspoon of finely chopped rosemary and a dash of lemon juice. Serve on a plate. Trim the bottom ends of the green asparagus, possibly cutting a little, and blanch in salted water for 3-5 minutes, depending on the size. Blend the chopped walnuts, which have been toasted in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, with the honey and mustard in a blender. Add the lemon zest. Mix the dressing with the asparagus and serve on a plate. Choose a suitable plate for each antipasto and let the guests choose for themselves, or arrange a small portion of the 8 portions per person, neatly arranged on a plate, and serve with ciabatta. This should be followed by at least one main course. Note: Green asparagus is unfortunately not available out of season.