Balsamified Tomato, Olive and Basil Topping for Bruschetta

I have always loved the traditional topping for the bruschetta.  I have been making it for forevs and I am pretty sure it will always be my fave.  

Now, let's be honest, CO, you are not that good at growing fruits and veggies.  Since living in CO, I haven't had one good tomato.  It is sad because homegrown tomatoes might be my favorite thing to eat ever.  Cut in half, with salt and pepper.  Or my ultimate favorite is a tomato sandwich.  OMGGGGGGGGGG.  I miss my tomato sandwiches.  

The thing is...I would rather have a bad tomato than no tomato at all.  And I know this is not how many tomato lovers are.  Instead of being mature and eating something else, I get crabby and curse under my breath while picking out the few roma tomatoes at the grocery store that aren't hard, pink and totally covered in wax.  

BTW, I don't really curse.  Or say the word curse.  I would normally say cuss, but was trying to sound cool.  

So, pretend these tomatoes are beautiful, home-grown tomatoes (preferably grown in the good ol' Midwest).  Mix in some olives and fresh basil (which, btw, our basil from our indoor herb garden has been doing great).  Then, all you do is add a splash of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, season with salt and pepper.  Best bruschetta topping, in my opinion.  

We grilled our bread because of the summer heat.  My sister isn't exactly a fan of our non-air conditioned place.  Baby!

Balsamified Tomato, Olive and Basil Topping for Bruschetta

1 baguette

olive oil

1 clove of garlic, peeled and cut in half

2 tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 handful of black olives, chopped

~20 basil leaves, cut into a chiffonade

1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

salt

pepper

Mix tomatoes, olives and basil together. Dress with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat broiler. Slice baguette on the diagonal. Place on a baking tray. Brush/drizzle with olive oil. Put under broiler until golden brown and toasty. Rub with garlic halves.

Serve bruschetta topped with tomato, olive and basil mixture.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 15 min., Cook time: 3-4 min., Difficulty: Easy)

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Mushroom Crostini with Goat Cheese

For the "Food as Art" potluck, I also made some mushroom crostini.  I really liked the idea of the mushroom topping.  I always tend to make a tapenade or a tomato topping.  The mushroom topping was pretty easy.  Just saute up a variety of mushrooms (I used a combo of crimini, white and shiitake), add some garlic and herbs, and throw it all in the food processor.  And what is nice, is that it actually tastes really good at room temperature.  I topped mine with some goat cheese. Of course.  Which worked really well.  To make it "art", I added some parsley.  I suppose it isn't the most art like dish, but that is ok.  

Mushroom Crostini

by Annie’s Eats

For the crostini:

24 thin slices baguette or other crusty bread

Olive oil

1-2 cloves garlic, halved

For the mushroom spread:

3-4 tbsp. olive oil, divided

1 lb. mushrooms, any combination, roughly chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp. fresh parsley, minced

2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

1/2 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced

1 tsp. coarse salt

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350° F. To make the crostini, place baguette slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Lightly brush each slice of bread with olive oil. Bake 15- 20 minutes, until golden and crisp. Once the bread slices have cooled enough to handle, rub each crostini with the cut side of a garlic clove. Set aside.

To make the mushroom spread, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and almost all of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Mix in the garlic, parsley, thyme, rosemary and salt, cooking 1-2 more minutes, until fragrant.

Transfer the mixture to a food processor with the feed tube open to vent steam. Process until finely ground. With the processor running, add the remaining 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil, until the mixture is smooth and spreadable. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

Spread each piece of bread with a thin layer of the mushroom mixture, transfer to a platter and serve.

(Servings: ~10, Prep time: 20 min., Cook time: 12 min., Difficulty: Easy)

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Some other "Food as Art" dishes (Homer Cheese/Salami tray, Curry Tree, Fruit and Yogurt Salad, Curry Elephant, Swirly pizza):

Caramelized Onion Crostini

I enjoyed these quite a bit. I love the combination of flavors. I didn't follow the directions for assembling the crostinis exactly. I just broiled the bread for a few minutes. Then, put the onions and cheese on. Then, broiled again. I like to crisp up bread under the broiler rather than in an oven, because it toasts the top rather than the whole piece. Just my pref.

I also wanted to melt the cheese.

These actually went great with the Shrimp Bisque. They were almost better together than apart.

I think the onion mixture needs more anchovies. Are you scared of anchovies? They are so good. Hairy fish....yum!

Last thing, I only used one onion. It was plenty for an entire baguette.

Caramelized Onion Crostini

by For the Love of Cooking

2 tbsp butter

1 tsp olive oil

2 onions, sliced

6 anchovy fillets, chopped

1 tsp thyme

Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

1 baguette, sliced

1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced in half

Asiago cheese, shaved

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, anchovies, thyme, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are sweet and golden brown, about 20 minutes. While the onions are cooking, slice the baguette, then coat each slice with a bit of olive oil cooking spray. Place in the oven and bake for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown.

Top each baguette slice with a bit of caramelized onions, some shaved Asiago and an olive. Enjoy.

(Servings: 4-6, Prep time: 45 min., Cook time, 10 min., Difficulty: Easy)

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