In our department at KSU one of the secretaries organizes a lunch potluck to celebrate the birthdays of the month.  The email to announce the monthly event ends with “Remember, simpler is better”, but you may find a spread containing spaghetti with homemade meatballs,  very elaborate curries, and fantastic snickerdoodles made from scratch (that was the case last week, and I was unashamed of sitting by that platter and turning them into 80% of my meal).

For last week’s potluck, I made a slightly different version of  the Mediterranean Skewers  posted last year.  They are light, refreshing, fun to eat and won’t weigh you down before a substantial meal. Or a tantalizing spread of 10 different dishes offered at your next departmental party!  😉

MEDITERRANEAN SKEWERS WITH BALSAMIC DRESSING
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

30 skewers
mozzarella mini-balls (like these)
sharp Cheddar cheese, cut in cubes
pitted black kalamata olives
pitted large green olives
15 red grape tomatoes, halved
15 yellow grape tomatoes, halved

for the dressing:
2 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp ground fennel
2 tsp balsamic vinegar (white, if available for you)
salt and pepper to taste

Line your ingredients, and have some fun:  form the skewers starting and ending with a cut tomato, with the cut side facing towards the center of the skewer. Alternate the cheeses types and olives, so that you end up with many variations in composition and colors.    Arrange the skewers on a serving platter.

Make the dressing by whisking all the ingredients in a small bowl, drizzle over the skewers half an hour before serving. White balsamic has a nicer color for this type of dish, but if you don’t mind the brownish hint given by the regular balsamic, you can definitely use it.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

The possibilities for this type of appetizer are pretty much endless… Mozzarella and tomatoes with a pesto drizzle on top would make a nice “Caprese on a Stick”,  a small bunch of Romaine lettuce squeezed between pieces of  sharp cheese and grilled chicken, and voila’:  Chicken Caesar on a Stick!    Just make sure they are user-friendly, because if the skewers are too big, they can be awkward to eat. These ones I made were right at the limit.  😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Five Grain Sourdough Bread

TWO YEARS AGO: The Nano-Kitchen

THREE YEARS AGO: Kaiser Rolls