Happy Memorial Day! Here's an app to have with your wine! (Bruschetta 3 Ways)

*I had great pictures to go with this, but I think I erased them. Typical pregnancy brain!
Sorry to my few readers about my very long absence. We are very excited expecting our 2nd baby in November, but I have been very nauseous so I have been keeping the cooking to a minimum. Expect a lot of desserts and "safe" food, nothing to crazy. But I have hit my 2nd trimester, she I have had some inspiration.

Happy Memorial Day! Make this app, watch the Cape Cod sunset and have a glass of wine for me (since I cannot have one). . Bruschetta is the old stand by appetizer, but I have to say it is my favorite, when done well. I have had a lot bad Bruschetta, soggy bread, grainy tomatoes. But when it is done right it is perfect. Although this is an app, it makes a very filling meal with a salad and the use of whole grain bread. Especially if you are ambitious and do all three. Now the tomatoes this time of year of not that good, but I posted the classic bruschetta anyway. You can either save the recipe for summer or if you find a semi-decent tomato, a lot of olive oil and vinegar will improve it greatly. The mushroom bruschetta recipe was inspired by some bruschetta I had at Mario Batali's "Lupa".  They use some pretty fancy mushrooms with sheep's milk ricotta, which I couldn't find at Stop and Shop.  I used some pretty nice cow's milk ricotta and it was great, but not the same.  If you can find real sheep's milk ricotta, give it a shot. The third recipe, white bean and goat cheese, was inspired by stuff I found in my pantry and fridge. Enjoy!


printable recipes

Classic Bruschetta
1 baguette sliced
1 minced clove of garlic
about 1 tsp. salts
2 large tomatoes or 4 plum tomatoes chopped
1 tbs. balsamic vinegar
2 tbs. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1. Heat broiler on low to preheat. Place baguette slices on a cookie sheet and toast in the oven, flipping once.
Watch very carefully, it should only take a few minutes.
2. Mix garlic and salt on a cutting board, smashing with a knife to make a paste. I find it cuts down on the raw garlic taste, but still only kiss people who have shared this dish with you.
3. Mix salt, garlic, tomatoes,  balsamic vinegar, and olive oil. Taste and adjust seasonings.
4. Top bread with tomato mixture and serve.
(If serving later keep bread and topping separate until ready to serve)

Mushroom Ricotta
1 baguette sliced
1 tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. butter
salt and pepper to taste
2 -4 oz package of mixed mushrooms
1/4 cup of white wine
1/2 tsp. fresh thyme
1 small container of ricotta cheese
truffle oil (optional)
1. Heat broiler on low to preheat. Place baguette slices on a cookie sheet and toast in the oven, flipping once.
Watch very carefully, it should only take a few minutes.
2. Adding salt and pepper, saute mushrooms on medium-high heat in olive oil and butter until mushroom are browned and remove from pan and set aside.
3. Add wine and thyme to pan and reduce by about half. Add mushroom mixture, lower heat and set aside.
4. Mix ricotta with salt and pepper and top each slice with about a tbs. of ricotta and some of the mushroom mixture.
5. Drizzle with truffle oil and serve.

White Bean and Goat Cheese
1 baguette sliced
olive oil
1 cup of white beans cooked
1/4 cup of goat cheese crumbled
1/2 tsp. fresh chopped rosemary finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup walnuts
1. Heat broiler on low to preheat. Place baguette slices on a cookie sheet and toast in the oven, flipping once.
Watch very carefully, it should only take a few minutes.
2. Add olive oil  to a saute pan on medium heat. Add beans to pan and warm through smashing beans as you go.
3. Remove from heat and mix in goat cheese, rosemary, salt and pepper, set aside.
4. In a dry pan, heat and lightly toast walnuts.
5. Top each baguette sliced with bean mixture and walnuts,then serve.