You cannot go wrong with making bruschetta during the summer. It highlights the best of the best of summer of ingredients and makes for the perfect appetizer for summer parties or just hanging around the house!
Every season has its own seasonal ingredients but I think we can all agree that summer wins, right? Feel free to call me out about it during the winter when I pretend to boast about the brussels sprout quality. Spring has peas and asparagus but honestly who cares? In the winter time apparently root vegetables are in season, but have you ever gone to the store in December and truly admired the russet potatoes? Pretty sure they look the same every month. Don't get me wrong, apples are amazingly delicious in the fall. New England apples in season is one of my favorite things on this planet however, I can't grow them on my balcony and I can't eat them in every meal. Ugh, please forgive me apples. I promise we will be bffs again come this September.
Pretty much everything is in season during the summer that I love. Cucumbers...check. Did you read my last post on falling in love with a greek cucumber salad? Watermelon? Yes please. If I could start every day with a few bites of cold ripe watermelon I would say goodbye to intermittent fasting for good. Tomatoes? Well you see, tomatoes and I have been through our ups and downs over the course of my life, but at age 29 it's safe to say we are in love and in a committed relationship. Then there are the herbs. The single best part about summer is growing your own herbs.
This year, I moved into a new apartment that has a balcony and I literally counted down the days until I could start growing my own herbs. Oh and maybe I have to specify, when I say herbs, I mean basil, thyme, oregano, parsley...not the other kind. In the winter months, parsley and cilantro make my weekly shopping list. Half the time I barely use them and they get wilted in my fridge but I just like having them on hand! Stepping out onto my balcony and being able ot pick off some fresh basil is my version of heaven. However, I would like to think that in heaven it wouldn't take me three basil plants to finally learn how to keep one alive.
Bruschetta is like the taste of summer on bread. You cannot go wrong with the flavors. For this type, I incorporated some sweet flavors with a balsamic glaze and a honey drizzle. You can never go wrong with cheese, so I spread some fresh ricotta onto the baguette slices, topped it with blistered cherry tomatoes and basil.
Ingredients:
2 pints cherry tomatoes
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 baguette or french loaf, sliced into 1/2 inch slices
2 tbsp honey
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
3 tbsp balsamic glaze
1/4 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
Balsamic Glaze:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar
1. Preheat your oven to 400. Place bread on a baking sheet and brush the bread with 1 tbsp olive oil. Bake for roughly 10 - 15 minutes making sure to turn over the bread half way.
2. In a skillet heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add in cherry tomatoes and salt and cook until the tomatoes softened and become "blistered" (about 5 minutes).
3. Spread a layer of ricotta cheese onto the pieces of bread. Top with tomatoes and fresh basil. Drizzle honey over the bread.
4. To make the balsamic glaze combine balsamic vinegar and brown sugar together in a sauce pan. Heat over medium heat and bring the mixture to a simmer, making sure to stir often. Once the mixture has thickened, after roughly 10 minutes, remove from heat and drizzle over the bruschetta.
2 pints cherry tomatoes
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 baguette or french loaf, sliced into 1/2 inch slices
2 tbsp honey
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
3 tbsp balsamic glaze
1/4 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
Balsamic Glaze:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar
1. Preheat your oven to 400. Place bread on a baking sheet and brush the bread with 1 tbsp olive oil. Bake for roughly 10 - 15 minutes making sure to turn over the bread half way.
2. In a skillet heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add in cherry tomatoes and salt and cook until the tomatoes softened and become "blistered" (about 5 minutes).
3. Spread a layer of ricotta cheese onto the pieces of bread. Top with tomatoes and fresh basil. Drizzle honey over the bread.
4. To make the balsamic glaze combine balsamic vinegar and brown sugar together in a sauce pan. Heat over medium heat and bring the mixture to a simmer, making sure to stir often. Once the mixture has thickened, after roughly 10 minutes, remove from heat and drizzle over the bruschetta.
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