Mediterranean antipasti platter

Kieran Scott/Tamara West

A relaxed shared platter is a great way to start a dinner party. Everything can be prepared up to a few days in advance, and making it yourself is far more impressive than buying all the bits and pieces from the deli — your guests will be impressed! Garlic roasted this way makes a soft, smooth spread. A good quality New Zealand extra virgin olive oil is essential, the taste is incomparable.

Ingredients

2	Garlic bulbs, large, halved horizontally
2	Red capsicums, large
1	Eggplant, sliced 1cm thick (Main)
3 Tbsp	Olive oil
½ jar	Artichokes, in brine or oil, drained
6	Vine ripened tomatoes, small, sliced
8 slices	Salami, optional (Main)
1 loaf	Sourdough bread, or ciabatta

Goat's cheese spread

60 g	Soft goat's cheese, or feta or use soft cow's feta (Main)
2 Tbsp	Plain unsweetened yoghurt
1 ½ tsp	Thyme, or rosemary, finely chopped
2 Tbsp	Fresh mint, or flat-leaf parsley

Sundried tomato and olive tapenade

¾ cup	Kalamata olives, pitted, roughly chopped
½ cup	Sundried tomatoes, chopped
4 Tbsp	Extra virgin olive oil, good quality - I used Village Press

Directions

1. Heat oven to 220C.
2. First roast capsicums and garlic. Drizzle garlic bulb halves with olive oil, season with salt and wrap individually in foil. Roast whole capsicums and garlic parcels for 20-25 minutes until capsicums are charred and blistered, and garlic is soft and slightly caramelised. Remove from oven and allow capsicums to cool before peeling off their skins (they should come off easily). Slice capsicum flesh, discarding seeds, and set aside. Unwrap tinfoil and set roast garlic aside.
3. Lower oven temperature to 180C. Arrange eggplant slices on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Brush liberally with olive oil and season with salt. Bake for 15-20 minutes until soft and lightly browned. Stack eggplant slices and set aside.
4. To make the herb goat's cheese spread, mash goat's cheese with a fork and mix together well with remaining ingredients.
5. To make the sundried tomato and olive tapenade, place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until just combined. If you don't have a food processor, finely chop sundried tomatoes and olives and mix together with extra virgin olive oil.

Note:All elements can be made in advance and kept in the fridge until ready to be served. When ready to serve, arrange everything on a platter or wooden board and let everyone help themselves.