When I first spotted a cream cheese and olive sandwich on the menu at S&P, a charming new twist on an old New York lunch counter, I was skeptical. There were so many other tempting choices-like ...

Arrange a rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°. In a large bowl, combine garlic, cream cheese, olives, provolone, red peppers, giardiniera, Parmesan, mortadella ...

Any hard cheese will work well in these scones ... Stir in the cheeses using a round-ended knife. Chop the olives into varying sizes and add to the mixture along with the fresh and dried basil.