Kasey Wilson: Go Italian for edible gifts

Article content

This is the second in a series of homemade food gifts for the holiday season.

Article content

I strongly believe in giving thoughtful, personal gifts from my kitchen. Sometimes they’re simple, other times lavish. Sometimes just homemade, and other times I add imported items.

Article content

Why not delight someone with the fixings for an entire meal?

Create an Italian Pasta Basket — use a four-bottle wine basket or other wicker basket — by combining jars of homemade Carrot Artichoke Antipasto and Pesto Cream Sauce along with a bottle of olive oil, a crusty loaf of bread, a wedge of Parmesan, malfade (narrow, ripple-edged pasta), a bottle of Chianti and a package of amaretti cookies. Include instructions and easy-to-follow recipes.

You may also want to add one of the following: a red checkered tablecloth, a cheese mill, a basil plant, candles or a wooden pasta fork. Wrap the entire basket in clear cellophane and tie with red, green and white ribbon. Or if you have an empty violin case hanging around, use that instead of a basket, and wrap with cellophane. The idea is to have fun, be creative and blame it on the wine.

Article content

For a simpler gift, place a purchased garlic braid, which come in varying lengths, along with a bag of Dill Toast Hearts and recipes, such as Baked Garlic and Baked Garlic Dip, in a long wicker bread basket. Remember, when buying garlic, be sure the heads are firm and plump.

These food gifts are much less expensive than an uninspired store-bought gift basket and are sure to put you on the “nice” list.

Carrot Artichoke Antipasto

There are many variations for antipasto, but this is my favourite.

¼ cup (50 mL) olive oil

2 medium carrots, sliced in rounds

2 medium red peppers, chopped

2 medium ribs celery, chopped

1 cup (250 mL) tomato chili sauce

1 cup (250 mL) ketchup

1 cup (250 mL) baby gherkins

1 cup (250 mL) tiny pickled onions

Article content

½ cup (125 mL) stuffed olives

½ cup (125 mL) Greek olives

170 g (198 g) solid white tuna, drained

½ cup (125 mL) apple cider vinegar

2 14-oz (2-398 mL) cans artichoke hearts, cut in half

In a large heavy saucepan, heat olive oil. Add carrots, red peppers and celery and sauté gently for 10 minutes.

Add chili sauce, ketchup, gherkins, onions and olives and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add tuna, breaking into large chunks. Stir in vinegar and add artichoke hearts. Simmer until heated through.

Transfer to seven one-cup (250-mL) sterilized glass containers, cover, cool, label and refrigerate. Keeps for 1 week.

Makes 7 cups.

Pesto Cream Sauce

1 cup (250 mL) firmly packed fresh basil leaves

8 oz (250 g) cream cheese

Article content

2 tbsp. (30 mL) coarsely chopped fresh parsley leaves

1 tbsp. (15 mL) coarsely shredded fresh mint leaves

½ cup (125 mL) olive oil

½ cup (125 mL) grated Parmesan cheese OR

¼ cup (50 mL) each Parmesan and Romano cheese

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

½ cup (125 mL) light cream

½ cup (125 mL) pine nuts or walnuts (optional)

In a food processor with a metal blade, combine basil, cream cheese, parsley and mint and blend thoroughly while gradually pouring oil through feeder tube. Add cheese, salt and pepper and process well. Add cream and blend thoroughly. Fold in pine nuts.

Pour into a jar, label and refrigerate. Keeps 2 weeks.

Makes 2½ cups (625 mL).

SERVING SUGGESTION: Bring sauce to room temperature and toss with cooked pasta to coat thoroughly.

Article content

Baked Garlic

1 lb garlic (500 g) (about 10 whole heads)

¾ cup (175 mL) olive oil

3 tbsp. (50 mL) fresh thyme

3 tbsp. (50 mL) fresh basil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 300 F

Peel off outer leaves from each head of garlic, keeping the head and inner leaves intact. Score each head of garlic about 1/3 inch (8mm) from the top so that cloves are exposed.

Place heads of garlic in a single layer in a baking dish that will just hold them. Sprinkle oil and herb mixture, salt and pepper over the garlic.

Bake for approximately 1 hour or until garlic is very soft and tender. Serve whole heads of garlic. Slip the garlic cloves out of their skins and spread like butter on cream cheese or goat cheese on Dill Toast Hearts.

Allow 1 to 2 heads a person.

Article content

Baked Garlic Dip

1/3 lb (150 g) Baked Garlic (3-4 heads)

½ lb (250 g) Winnipeg Cream Cheese

2 tbsp. (25 ml) fresh dill, finely chopped (optional)

Pinch garlic cloves from their skins into food processor. Add cream cheese and dill. Process using metal blade until puréed. Serve at room temperature with crudités.

Makes 1 1/3 cups (325 mL)

Dill Toast Hearts

10 slices day-old white bread

6 tbsp. (100 mL) butter, softened

2 tbsp. (25 mL) chopped fresh dill

Preheat oven to 350 F.

To make toast hearts, remove crusts from bread and stamp out hearts with a 3-inch (7.5-cm) cookie cutter.

Combine butter and dill and spread on bread.

Arrange on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes or golden.

Allow 1-2 slices per person.

Kitchen Hack: Edible Toothpicks for Hors D’Oeuvres

Article content

Any number of hors d’oeuvres — including small meatballs, crab cakes, marinated mushrooms, bits of semi-soft cheese are served with toothpick skewers. Add a little salty crunch to the equation and avoid the problem of used-toothpick disposal by spearing hors d’oeuvres with slender pretzel sticks, which can be eaten right along with tasty tidbit they have skewered.

More news, fewer ads: Our in-depth journalism is possible thanks to the support of our subscribers. For just $3.50 a week, you can get unlimited, ad-lite access to The Vancouver Sun, The Province, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Vancouver Sun | The Province.