Bruschetta
Perfect as an appetizer paired with red wine and cheese, this bruschetta will leave your guests begging for more. I made these for a very fabulous group of my mom's friends and we couldn't get enough of it (may or may not have eaten a whole baguette).
INGREDIENTS (serves ten):
1 baguette
1 large tomato
1 tsp of crushed rosemary
5 large fresh basil leaves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
3 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 stalk of green onion
Shaved or shredded parmesan cheese
1/4 of a lemon or 2 tbsp of lemon juice
1 large tomato
1 tsp of crushed rosemary
5 large fresh basil leaves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
3 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 stalk of green onion
Shaved or shredded parmesan cheese
1/4 of a lemon or 2 tbsp of lemon juice
1: PRE-HEAT OVEN TO 300 DEGREES
2: CUT BAGUETTE INTO PIECES
You'll need a nice, fresh baguette with the size depending on your party. First, cut into pieces based the amount of guests you have plus one. Next, cut those in half in the middle with your hand on top of the bread and your knife slicing the middle of the bread underneath. Watch for sliced fingertips (I learned tonight that this is common) and cut equal portions. Next, slice these long pieces in half diagonally, so you are left with numerous pointy pieces of bread (triangles). Cutting the bread like this makes the outcome more user-friendly and less messy on your face when the tomatoes seem to abandon ship on the first bite.
Regarding the size of your baguette, and the number of individual pieces of bread cut, plan for each person to have about two to three pieces each. I made enough small pieces for about three each and we only had a couple remaining - only to be finished off after the main course later.
3: WINE TIME
Red wine and sangria was our drink of choice tonight.
4: CHOP TOMATOES AND ONIONS
Tomatoes: After washing, cut out the core of the tomato. Get all the squishy, runny guts out of there and cut the tomato into four flanks pressed onto the cutting board flat. For each flank, cut vertically multiple skinny strips, then horizontally more skinny strips, making perfect, tiny squares of tomato. Put into a medium bowl.
Green onion stalk: Start at the dense, white bottom of the stalk, where the roots usually are. Chop (with tiny spaces in between) up the stalk until you hit the green of the onion and you feel the shoot becoming empty. You are left with teeny tiny little onion circles. Throw them in the bowl as well.
5: OIL (FIRST ROUND)
Pour oil and balsamic vinegar into a separate, small bowl.
6: PREPARE BREAD
Place your small, triangular pieces of bread onto a cookie sheet with foil. Distribute them evenly. Brush the oil and vinegar onto each piece of bread. Coat those suckers and use the whole bowl of oil.
Now, cover the pieces with your parmesan - shredded or shaved. I suggest shaved because it is flakey and will stay put on these wobbly pieces of bread.
Place the bread in the oven and bake them at 300 degrees for about five minutes. Keep an eye on them - as long as the cheese is fully melted, they are ready for the topping.
7: OIL AGAIN AND MIX IT UP
Repeat the oil process again with another round of oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Now add basil and rosemary. For the basil, I cut the leaves only vertically, leaving them in skinny strips.
Make sure to crush the rosemary before you apply. I accidentally left mine long at first and had to remove much of them later after feeling like I was eating fishbones upon my first test bite. Add the mix to your tomatoes and onions and top it off with a little lemon zest. Taste to test - the whole mixture should taste close to Caprese minus the mozzarella.
8: TOP AND SERVE
Once your bread is ready, top each piece with the mixture in your bowl of deliciousness - tomatoes and all! Now serve them to your anxiously awaiting guest and enjoy!
1: PRE-HEAT OVEN TO 300 DEGREES
2: CUT BAGUETTE INTO PIECES
You'll need a nice, fresh baguette with the size depending on your party. First, cut into pieces based the amount of guests you have plus one. Next, cut those in half in the middle with your hand on top of the bread and your knife slicing the middle of the bread underneath. Watch for sliced fingertips (I learned tonight that this is common) and cut equal portions. Next, slice these long pieces in half diagonally, so you are left with numerous pointy pieces of bread (triangles). Cutting the bread like this makes the outcome more user-friendly and less messy on your face when the tomatoes seem to abandon ship on the first bite.
Regarding the size of your baguette, and the number of individual pieces of bread cut, plan for each person to have about two to three pieces each. I made enough small pieces for about three each and we only had a couple remaining - only to be finished off after the main course later.
3: WINE TIME
Red wine and sangria was our drink of choice tonight.
4: CHOP TOMATOES AND ONIONS
Tomatoes: After washing, cut out the core of the tomato. Get all the squishy, runny guts out of there and cut the tomato into four flanks pressed onto the cutting board flat. For each flank, cut vertically multiple skinny strips, then horizontally more skinny strips, making perfect, tiny squares of tomato. Put into a medium bowl.
Green onion stalk: Start at the dense, white bottom of the stalk, where the roots usually are. Chop (with tiny spaces in between) up the stalk until you hit the green of the onion and you feel the shoot becoming empty. You are left with teeny tiny little onion circles. Throw them in the bowl as well.
5: OIL (FIRST ROUND)
Pour oil and balsamic vinegar into a separate, small bowl.
6: PREPARE BREAD
Place your small, triangular pieces of bread onto a cookie sheet with foil. Distribute them evenly. Brush the oil and vinegar onto each piece of bread. Coat those suckers and use the whole bowl of oil.
Now, cover the pieces with your parmesan - shredded or shaved. I suggest shaved because it is flakey and will stay put on these wobbly pieces of bread.
Place the bread in the oven and bake them at 300 degrees for about five minutes. Keep an eye on them - as long as the cheese is fully melted, they are ready for the topping.
7: OIL AGAIN AND MIX IT UP
Repeat the oil process again with another round of oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Now add basil and rosemary. For the basil, I cut the leaves only vertically, leaving them in skinny strips.
Make sure to crush the rosemary before you apply. I accidentally left mine long at first and had to remove much of them later after feeling like I was eating fishbones upon my first test bite. Add the mix to your tomatoes and onions and top it off with a little lemon zest. Taste to test - the whole mixture should taste close to Caprese minus the mozzarella.
8: TOP AND SERVE
Once your bread is ready, top each piece with the mixture in your bowl of deliciousness - tomatoes and all! Now serve them to your anxiously awaiting guest and enjoy!
2: CUT BAGUETTE INTO PIECES
You'll need a nice, fresh baguette with the size depending on your party. First, cut into pieces based the amount of guests you have plus one. Next, cut those in half in the middle with your hand on top of the bread and your knife slicing the middle of the bread underneath. Watch for sliced fingertips (I learned tonight that this is common) and cut equal portions. Next, slice these long pieces in half diagonally, so you are left with numerous pointy pieces of bread (triangles). Cutting the bread like this makes the outcome more user-friendly and less messy on your face when the tomatoes seem to abandon ship on the first bite.
Regarding the size of your baguette, and the number of individual pieces of bread cut, plan for each person to have about two to three pieces each. I made enough small pieces for about three each and we only had a couple remaining - only to be finished off after the main course later.
3: WINE TIME
Red wine and sangria was our drink of choice tonight.
4: CHOP TOMATOES AND ONIONS
Tomatoes: After washing, cut out the core of the tomato. Get all the squishy, runny guts out of there and cut the tomato into four flanks pressed onto the cutting board flat. For each flank, cut vertically multiple skinny strips, then horizontally more skinny strips, making perfect, tiny squares of tomato. Put into a medium bowl.
Green onion stalk: Start at the dense, white bottom of the stalk, where the roots usually are. Chop (with tiny spaces in between) up the stalk until you hit the green of the onion and you feel the shoot becoming empty. You are left with teeny tiny little onion circles. Throw them in the bowl as well.
5: OIL (FIRST ROUND)
Pour oil and balsamic vinegar into a separate, small bowl.
6: PREPARE BREAD
Place your small, triangular pieces of bread onto a cookie sheet with foil. Distribute them evenly. Brush the oil and vinegar onto each piece of bread. Coat those suckers and use the whole bowl of oil.
Now, cover the pieces with your parmesan - shredded or shaved. I suggest shaved because it is flakey and will stay put on these wobbly pieces of bread.
Place the bread in the oven and bake them at 300 degrees for about five minutes. Keep an eye on them - as long as the cheese is fully melted, they are ready for the topping.
7: OIL AGAIN AND MIX IT UP
Repeat the oil process again with another round of oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Now add basil and rosemary. For the basil, I cut the leaves only vertically, leaving them in skinny strips.
Make sure to crush the rosemary before you apply. I accidentally left mine long at first and had to remove much of them later after feeling like I was eating fishbones upon my first test bite. Add the mix to your tomatoes and onions and top it off with a little lemon zest. Taste to test - the whole mixture should taste close to Caprese minus the mozzarella.
8: TOP AND SERVE
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