Antipasto Platter

OK so this platter wasn't exactly scrimpy, but it was WAY cheaper than going out, and just as delicious. I finally decided to make this because it's one of those things...you're not supposed to fill up on the antipasto, because you have dinner coming, but it's always so good. So, I figured, why not just make that the dinner? Also, I figured a lighter dinner would leave more room for delicious chocolate treats!

So, here's what I included on my platter:

Proscuitto $3.70
Artichoke Hearts $1.99
Fresh Basil ($1.99), Mozzerella ($2.99), and Tomato Salad ($2.49)
Figs ($2.99)
Grapes ($2.00 - Haymarket)
Manchego Cheese ($4.75)
Kalamata Olives ($2.99)
Manzanilla Olives ($2.99 - already had them at home)
Roasted Red Peppers ($1 - Haymarket, 2 peppers, roasted them myself)
Salami ($2.99)

Total: $32.87

Now, that's more than I would have liked to spend, but I didn't use all the ingredients on just the platter. I used up the leftovers to stretch out the ingredients for recipes I will share with you throughout the week! When all was said and done, this made:

5 dinners
8 lunches
2 snacks

This platter is great for any type of entertaining, and would serve about 4-6 people (depending on what else you had) if served as an appetizer tray with fresh bread. It takes a little while to arrange it, but I use Ina Garten's platter design principles (taken from her book The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook). These are for a cheese and dessert platters, but apply to the antipasto platter (and all others) as well:

1. Have a platter that is large enough to hold everything (I got a beautiful acacia wood platter from Crate and Barrel that works perfectly and cost $14.95!)
2. Choose a simple fruit, like a bunch of grapes, placed slightly off center to anchor the design and give height.
3. To finish, add breads, crackers, and green leaves (in this case I used fresh basil)
4. The simpler the design, the better the platter looks. Group each color together to create visual focal points. Red grapes/strawberries draw your eye to the center.
5. Follow good Japanese principles:

• Earth: a solid element which grounds the design
• Sky: something taller, which curves upwards
• Water: something spilling forward

These are the ideas I kept in mind when arranging my platter. It's not the easiest thing in the world to do, and I was really nervous that it would look messy or just stupid. I followed Ina's ideas, though, and I think the result was great!