April showers bring us May flowers, so the saying goes.  The month of May also kicks off the outdoor party season!  Graduations, Communions, Wedding Festivities, Summer Holidays, and my favorite type of party; the Just Because start in earnest this month.  Many of the shindigs I attend are potluck style, with the host providing the main course eats and us lucky guests providing sides and appetizers.  It is always interesting to see what others bring to share and of course swapping recipes and getting clued into the ingredient lists behind the tasty, but often heavily processed dishes. 
Antipasto, meaning “before the meal” classically is the first course in a formal Italian meal.  Traditional antipasto includes cured meats, olives, pepperoncini, anchovies, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, various cheeses, pickled meats and vegetables (either in oil or in vinegar).  I was introduced to this collection of yumminess in grade school by an Italian classmate and eagerly…