Anna Garofalo points to a pile of grilled peaches and suggests I make a bold move: Dip \u2019em in tzatziki.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s an idea that hasn\u2019t crossed my mind, but I trust that the chef won\u2019t steer me wrong. After all, the rainbow of antipasti that she and Campo de Fiori owner Elizabeth Plotke have arranged on a 2-foot-wide, round serving board is happy hour heaven \u2014 more than 25 different snacks!<\/p>\n
I pick a peach wedge, scoop up some of the herbed Mediterranean dip, and bite. The sweet flavor of charred stone fruit with minty, garlicky yogurt is instantly addictive, and I return to the combo frequently as we share stories and sip wine on the courtyard patio with Campo\u2019s executive chef of 20 years, Giuseppe Garofalo (Anna\u2019s brother).<\/p>\n
Next is an octopus skewer brushed with chile oil, followed by a grilled orange slice. Anna \u2014 who has worked in the Campo kitchen for 17 of its 25 years and now heads up the restaurant\u2019s new catering operation \u2014 has cut the citrus so incredibly thin that the segments resemble stained glass, ringed with ash. The brittle edges shatter in my mouth, followed by the bittersweet chew of a taffy-like center. It tastes like what I remember it felt like to soak up Aperol spritz cocktails and eat seafood in cozy eateries on the Mediterranean\u2019s sunbaked beaches.<\/p>\n
\u201cLemon zest, orange zest reminds me of south Italy,\u201d agrees Anna, referencing her and Giuseppe\u2019s home village of Torre del Greco, near Naples. \u201cMy idea is to pull so many different flavors on only one board.\u201d<\/p>\n
Earlier I had watched her sprinkle Spanish paprika onto a mason jar overflowing with hummus. I drag a seeded cracker \u2014 normally served with the restaurant\u2019s beloved tuna tartare \u2014 through the mottled beige dip, eat it, and smile. It\u2019s hummus, but thicker and more complex \u2026 because it\u2019s made with oven-roasted cauliflower, tahini and Middle Eastern spices.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe keep the boards as Italian as possible, but add ingredients from around the world,\u201d Plotke says.<\/p>\n
Which is why, I soon learn, the scallops are such a curious diversion. Anna coated each seared morsel with yuzu kosho, the zingy Asian paste and perhaps the last condiment I would expect to find in Campo\u2019s Italian pantry. Plotke picked it up on a recent trip to Japan.<\/p>\n
\u201cA scallop is sweet and a little unctuous,\u201d Plotke explains, \u201cand the fermented citrus and little kick of spice of yuzu koshu cuts through it. It\u2019s almost how you think of wine pairing: foods that match each other or contrast get that best balance of flavors. How can we accentuate flavor with different ingredients we\u2019ve experienced when we\u2019ve traveled?\u201d<\/p>\n
That question drives the concept behind Campo\u2019s attractive antipasti boards, which the team creates for private clients. The endeavor started in earnest at the end of last year, when Anna suggested the restaurant branch out into catering. The chef unveiled her creations at the Food & Wine Classic guest reception at the Wheeler Opera House: some 30 boards for 600 guests topped with roasted, grilled, marinated and pickled veggies and fruits, olives, nuts, handcrafted dips, sliced meats and cheeses. They were a hit.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you welcome friends at home and have a party, you bring out the cured meat, prosciutto, salami, cheese, usually with some veggies, olives,\u201d Giuseppe explains. \u201cYou don\u2019t just go with meat and cheese. That\u2019s French!\u201d<\/p>\n
Since standard party spreads around here are often meat-cheese-cracker heavy, Plotke believes that the allure of Campo\u2019s creations is proportional to the diversity of items grounded in Italy with seasonings from around the world. The platters also echo a number of dishes on Campo\u2019s menu: whole snap peas partnered with abstract chunks of pecorino cheese, both found in the longtime-favorite lemon pasta; a pureed spinach-artichoke dip made funky with gorgonzola cheese; shrimp, cherry tomato and zucchini skewers \u2026 brushed with olive oil flecked deep red, thanks to crushed sumac spice.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mom is from Egypt, so I grew up with za\u2019atar and sumac and cumin,\u201d Plotke shares. \u201cThe food is very Italian, but there\u2019s such an influence from our travels.\u201d<\/p>\n
When Anna had set a long yellow log onto a prep table during the construction session, I thought it might be polenta, until she cut off a half-inch slice to reveal a beautiful interior spiral. The egg omelet, cooked thin as a pancake then rolled up with ricotta cheese, spinach, and mint, was inspired by Anna and Giuseppe\u2019s mother, who would prepare frittata for dinner when they were growing up on the family farm. For (dinner or brunch) catering, \u201crollino\u201d is a snap for folks to handle.<\/p>\n
Giuseppe points out that for Anna to best serve Aspen\u2019s cosmopolitan crowd, Campo Catering takes inspiration from their homeland. Sicily has been an evolving melting pot of culture since the beginning of history.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s like New York in the middle of the Mediterranean,\u201d he says. \u201cIt has been occupied by Turkish, Phoenicians, Greeks, Arabs, Byzantines, Normans, Vikings \u2026<\/p>\n
\u201c(Now, in Aspen) When you go to a party, you have so many people with so many different tastes and expectations about food. You have people with different backgrounds. You want to make sure that everybody is welcome to the table.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thanks to a range of sweet and savory flavors, textures, colors and inspirations \u2014 well-roundedness leading to satiety, at least according to Panchakarma principles in India, where Plotke followed Ayurvedic practices on a recent jaunt \u2014 Campo\u2019s rustic boards have become a staple at catered gigs. Plus, they get folks chatting.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything around a board creates opportunity for interactions,\u201d Giuseppe says.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen people congregate, they start to say, \u2018What\u2019s that? What\u2019s that? Did you try that one?\u2019 Many guests (might not) know each other, and they\u2019re looking for opportunity to start conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n