Summer Bruschetta Two Ways

We made these two different versions of bruschetta for a cookout with friends. Both have sweet and savory combinations that play off each other really well.

Cracked Olive and Grape Tomato with Parmesan

I think I saw Jamie Oliver make some version of this recipe years ago. I’ve been making it ever since as my go to bruschetta. Cut a good loaf of Italian bread into quarter inch slices and put them on the grill. While the bread is still warm, cut a garlic clove in half and rub it on each slice. Set the bread aside and in a colander, crush grape tomatoes, and a mixture of good olives (kalamata, greek, green, I usually get the “olive medley” from the olive bar at the grocery store) together and shake to drain. Place half a handful of the tomato-olive mixture on each piece of grilled bread. I finish by shaving a few pieces of parmesan on each piece and drizzling with olive oil. The combination of sweet grape tomatoes with the olives makes this dish work really well.

Goat Cheese and Strawberries with Black Pepper and Aged Balsamic

A couple years ago Kara and I were at a restaurant called Pinot Brasserie in Las Vegas. The meal was fantastic but I was skeptical when Kara picked the dessert which consisted of fresh strawberries, goat cheese, black pepper and a balsamic reduction. It turned to be delicious so we used the same combination for a bruschetta. Start with the same grilled bread (don’t rub with garlic this time) and pile on sliced strawberries, soft goat cheese and generous amount of black pepper. Finally, drizzle with balsamic vinegar. A couple of months ago we bought a bottle of 25 year old balsamic vinegar at an olive oil and vinegar tasting room called The Olive Mill. It was perfect to finish the dish.

Pizzettes

It's always been a tradition to do appetizers on New Year's Day with my family. So when I saw this recipe by Giada Di Laurentis, I knew it would be perfect for this holiday tradition. Pizzettes are basically mini pizzas. You could put any toppings you like on top of the pizza crust. I used store bought dough and used a glass to cut out the rounds as we do not have a round cookie cutter for some reason. What is interesting about this recipe is the way you cook the onions. I have carmalized onions many times, but never for as long as this recipe called for. I kept them on low heat for about one hour and forty-five minutes. They were cooked in 3tbs. of butter, 1tbs. sugar, and some chopped fresh thyme and oregano. They turned out perfect. I then topped the dough with the onions and crumbled goat cheese. They baked in a preheated oven for about 10 minutes. Then topped with prosciutto. Delicious.

Manchego Cheese with Brown Butter Sauce

We had some leftover manchego cheese and we were looking for a simple way to use it up. I found this recipe from Tyler Florence as part of a series of Spanish tapas. It was delicious. I really like the sweet and salty trend that seems to be more and more popular.

For this dish you just cook butter in a sauce pan until it is golden brown, and then add honey. Pour the sauce over the cheese and sprinkle with sea salt.