Antipasti Platter

During the holiday season, I love when my house (now apartment) is filled with friends and family, eating and drinking and generally making merry. I do not love being hulled up in my (now tiny) kitchen the whole time, not eating and drinking and making merry with my friends. This time of year, I need simple, delicious things that can be set out on the table for people to pick at all night. This antipasti platter comes together easily, with items that you can keep in your pantry and fridge so that you can throw one together at a moments notice. You can also plan to set this out as the appetizer at a holiday party and everyone will thank you because there is something that each person will like about this platter. Meat, cheese, olives, veggies. You can customize it to your liking and to what you have on hand. This is a version that I made over Thanksgiving and I will probably make another similar platter for a Christmas party.

Antipasti Platter
Ingredients
15-20 slices deli salami
1 ball mozzarella cheese
1 cucumber
1 can black olives
1 jar artichoke hearts
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
(I also threw in some leftover Pickled Vegetables, which you can also buy in a jar, but they aren't essential)

1. Slice the mozzarella cheese into bite sized pieces.
Also slice up the salami and the cucumber. You could substitute pepperoni or any other deli meats that you like. We happened to have some salami, so we used it up.
You can use any olives that you like, just make sure that they are pitted. It is hard to chat someone up if you are spitting pits all over the place.
2. In a large bowl, combine everything together by tossing gently with two salad spoons. These items are all fairly flavorful and juicy on their own. You will not need a lot of seasoning, but you can sprinkle very lightly with salt and pepper (or Italian Seasoning herb mix if you have that) and drizzle lightly with about a Tbs. of olive oil and red wine vinegar.
3. Pile the antipasti up high on a platter and serve with two salad spoons or with tongs and enjoy!