Appetizers!!!

Appetizers can be great, or they can be a real disappointment for a restaurant or even your own home. Today I will be teaching you how to make some basic, yet delicious appetizers. Last week I told you about the restaurant Bricco in West Harford. What I didn’t tell you is that they served an amazing appetizer plate there. Those appetizers reminded me of how sometimes my family and I will have an appetizer plate for dinner and still be satisfied.

Tomato Mozzarella Appetizer

Ingredients:

1 Large Tomato

Fresh Basil

2 Green Olives with Pits

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

Mozzarella

Very Little Balsamic Vinegar

Serves Two

If you can get real Italian imported mozzarella it makes the dish that much better. Firstly, chop your tomato into six slices. Next chop six 1/4-inch slices of mozzarella. Take a small plate and lay the slices in this order: Tomato, mozzarella, tomato, mozzarella, tomato, mozzarella, on each plate. Do this by fanning the ingredients out across the plate. Take your basil and chop or grind it into fine pieces. Lightly sprinkle this over the tomato mozzarella. Take one green olive and lay it right next to the last slice of mozzarella. Take your olive oil and lightly drizzle the tomatoes and mozzarella. If you would like, do the same with the balsamic vinegar. Be careful with the vinegar as it can easily overpower the dish. Put a dash of salt, and a small bit of pepper on the dish and your ready to serve.

Grilled Bread with Olive Oil

Ingredients:

Baguette or Rustic Country Bread

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

Rosemary

Take a sheet of aluminum foil and then slice the bread into slices that will fit comfortably into a child’s hands. Lay the bread on aluminum foil then take a brush and coat the bread in olive oil. Use a tad more than you think you need. Sprinkle a little bit of rosemary and salt and pepper. Finally put the bread on your grill. Grill it until on each side until golden brown. Place on a large plate and enjoy. No cheese, or butter necessary.

Artisan Cheese Plate

Ingredients:

A Sharp Blue Cheese

A 1 Year Old Manchego Cheese

Traditional Goat Cheese

A Soft Brie That is not Over Ripe

Slightly Crisp Red Grapes

Honeycrisp or Fuji Apples

Baguette

Crackers (Our favorite are Lahvosh Water Crackers)

Green Olives

Cherry Tomatoes

Serves 4

This is the simple way to make a delicious cheese plate. Firstly, cut a large piece out of each cheese and lay them on a platter. Next take your olives and put them in the middle of your platter, lay the tomatoes next to the olives. Next cut your baguette and lay it on the platter with some crackers. Thinly slice an apple and lay those slices next to the cheeses. Lay the red grapes wherever there is room on the plate. Finally lay a knife or two by the cheese to cut it. This may seem a bit casual, but the results are great.

Well that is it for today. I hope you enjoy my appetizers and try them for yourselves.

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