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
Bewitching Kitchen 
This is definitely some great party food! So easy to pick up and munch on as you walk around to peruse the other dishes.
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Joanne, I’ve had a book on my wish list at amazon for a long, long time: called On a Stick
All sorts of cool recipes served as finger food, on skewers – one day I might cave in and buy it, seems like a fun little cookbook to have
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Good to see that classic Mediterranean ingredient, Cheddar, being used to full effect here. Wouldn’t want to have an anomaly on the platter!
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It’s part of molecular gastronomy, you know. The genetic engineering of cheese at its best.
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Sally, your Mediterranean skewers look delish – so colourful! I make something similar – little caprese bites with basil, bocconcini and tomato – hard to go wrong as you say, with the combos. Good advice on keeping it eater-friendly 😉 – heehee, it would be so like me to be going at it from a awkward, embarrassing angle with the vinaigrette dribbling all over me… :).
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Yeah, don’t ask me how I became aware of the “eater-friendly” bit… 😉
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Easy does it! Those are fantastic!
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I am all for easy at the present time… 😉
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I like all of the colors; it’s a beautiful dish!
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Quite festive, non? 😉
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Beautiful, Sally, though for a second I mistook the mozzarella balls for marshmallows which would not be appetizing. It sounds as if your new department is a cooking one and that’s a good thing. Your offerings are sure to add a new dimension to the monthly pot lucks.
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OH, my… can you imagine marshmallows in the middle of all these? That would be something!
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Ooh, it looks wonderful!
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Thank you!
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Yum! I make something very similar at barbecues. Basically the exact same thing but thrown on the grill for a few minutes before meeting the dressing. So good!
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WOW! What a great twist! Never thought of grilling those but now i cannot wait to try them with this added bonus! THank you!
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I wish we would have read this sooner. We had a department picnic today…this would have been perfect Sally! Sounds like you guys are at a great school. Fresh raspberries…pot lucks! Woo hoo!
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Yeah, I keep telling I am lucky, so you better believe it! ;o) (Of course, that was not the case as far as moving companies go, but at least the lab move was flawless!)
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Cheddar it’s very fat. Best trade for fresh cheese. Thanks! Hug
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If you are afraid of the fat content, omitting the cheese and using something else could work too. I had actually folks with low=carb diets in mind when I opted to make these, so I wasn’t too concerned with the fat content of cheddar (or mozzarella). They are actually not that different, cheddar just a little higher in fat, but maybe the fact that the mozzarella bits are bigger would equalize the devilish effect 😉
Fresh cheese could be a nice alternative, although some tend to crumble too much to be used in skewers.
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If there’s cheese and a stick involved, it’s a party! Great ideas, Sally.
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You said it all! Cheese + stick = PARTY!
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Oh heck I’m not sure what happened but I just left you a comment saying hi I’ve popped over from Smidge’s blog! Adn I’m just loving the simple dish, and know that I would park myself in front of your platter !
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So nice to have you here, jumping from one of my favorite virtual spots!
Hope you stick around, having some cheese on a stick! (could not resist… 🙂
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Good idea for serving Teens too…. next time I get around those nearly 6 inches tall 14-15 yo devastating my kitchen trying to build up sandwiches…perhaps I can tranquilize them a little with these appealing and great looking sticks
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Good point! We don’t have teenagers hanging around anymore, just two adults who tend to eat very little during the day and get home ready to devour the contents of the fridge… maybe those can come in handy for me and hubby too 😉
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Such a wonderful idea, and sounds delicious too!
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I am already feeling sorry for the end of the season – the grape tomatoes won’t last for very long. But this year I definitely had my share! 😉
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These are not only great for a party but also a wonderful snack to serve for kids. Excuse me but I am in “back to school mode” and I’m looking for healthy and quick snacks to avoid the muuuuuuuuuuuuum I’m hungry and can’t wait for lunch or dinner lol
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Yes, indeed… I think kids love any type of finger food, less fussy to grab and enjoy as they do their homework or are about to dash out to play (do kids still dash out to play these days? Maybe not… I am showing my age! 😉
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i love using skewers for parties. so easy and fun!
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and, of course… when I need to make this type of recipe, I cannot find the skewers, so I buy more. Next day I open a drawer and there they are! (sigh, sigh, sigh)
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A great idea! Those skewers look scrumptious.
Cheers,
Rosa
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they are also a lot of fun to make, nibbling on the ingredients every once in a while, just to make sure everything is top quality, of course! 😉
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I love this new version of skewers, the addition of cheddar and olives.. the fennel.. I would have to help myself to a few of those and forego dinner:) It’s interesting how “simple” potlucks soon get “amped” up and become epic! And what fun to get to enjoy all that food!! xx
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the fennel is a must here, for sure! Cannot beat its flavor, I find myself adding it to marinades all the time. Either whole or ground…
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What a pretty presentation! And did I see you added cheddar to the mix?! That’s an interesting twist to the classic using only mozzarello. I really like that idea, creates a nice bite of flavor!!
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