Vegetable Antipasti

Vegetables are an ideal choice for antipasti because they are light and fresh, and offer the cook myriad choices, almost regardless of season. Some of the simplest vegetable antipasti combine raw, cut-up vegetables with some kind of flavorful dipping sauce; examples are Pinzimonio (see Bagna Cauda), a vinaigrette for cut-up vegetables, and the famous Bagna Cauda from Piemonte, in which vegetables are dipped into a pungent, warm, olive-oil sauce redolent of garlic and anchovies. Alternatively, raw vegetables may be served in a salad or dressed with olive oil, lemon, or vinegar, and perhaps herbs. (See Chapter 16 for more salads.)