Instant Party

With a quick trip to the deli and this recipe as a shopping list, you'll have party food assembled in no time. Going to a pot luck? This will make you friends. Add a basket of fresh, thinly sliced baguette and a dish of herbed mayonaisse and you have nearly a complete meal.

Last Minute Antipasto Platter
For 12

6 ounces "baby" or fresh mozzarella
1/4 pound prosciutto, thinly sliced
1/4 pound mortadella, thinly sliced
1/4 pound cappicolla, thinly sliced
1 (5 to 6-ounce) piece of asiago or aged provolone cheese
1 small stick soppressata (dried Italian sausage)
1 small stick pepperoni
4 ounces (1 small jar) marinated artichoke hearts
1/4 pound oil-dried black olives or similar olives
4 ounces (1 small jar) pepperoncini peppers, thinly sliced
6 ounces or 2 pieces whole roasted red peppers, juillienned
1 bunch fresh basil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 seedless cucumber, thinly sliced

Use a separate cutting board for prepping and place a nice wooden board for the display in front of you. Unwrap all the meats and cheeses and lay them out next to your display board.

Place the baby mozzarella in a small dish and set on 1 corner of the board.

Roll the prosciutto like a burrito, fold the mortadella in half 2 or 3 times, and wrap the cappicolla into a horn shape and place it creatively on the cutting board. (There is no set way to roll the meats, just go with the way the meat is cut).

Slice a bit of each cheese, the soppressata, and pepperoni and place on board in between folded meats. Scatter board with artichoke hearts, olives, pepperoncinis, and roasted red peppers. Have knives handy.

To finish, take a few basil leaves sliced chiffonade-style and mix with the minced garlic and olive oil. Drizzle over the entire board. Garnish with whole basil leaves and serve with cucumber slices as an alternative to crackers tiled in a bowl on the side of the platter. Offer salt and pepper.