As I slowly slip out of my summer trance… and come back to reality…. I have so many new and juicy ideas for recipes and projects and dreams to fulfil…. isn’t that always the way after a long and dreamy vacation… even if you havent really “gone anywhere”….
Confused about the difference between a crostini and a bruschetta maybe?? This might clear things up a bit… according to the foodnetwork.com blog: Crostini: Meaning “little toasts” in Italian, crostini are small, thin slices of toasted bread, which are usually brushed with olive oil. The word also describes canapés consisting of small slices of toast with a savory topping such as cheese, shrimp, pâté or anchovies. Sometimes crostini refers to the equivalent of a crouton used for soups or salads.
Bruschetta: From the Italian bruscare meaning “to roast over coals,” this traditional garlic bread is made by rubbing slices of toasted bread with garlic cloves, then drizzling the bread with extra-virgin olive oil. The bread is salted and peppered, then heated and served warm.
Read more at: http://blog.foodnetwork.com/fn-dish/2012/08/difference-between-crostini-vs-bruschetta/?oc=linkback
We are still all about the freshness… the summer taste of fruits and veggies… cold on our palates… calming the heat…. and I realized that we’ve all been using the summer berries in so many savory ways, it’s refreshing really! Not only does it bring out a perfect balance of salty n sweet… but it adds that pop of colour… that make the eating experience even more satisfying!
The strawberries here can easily be replaced by cherry tomatoes for their sweetness lends a similar taste here… I just love the strawberries though, it adds a sweet punch… and with a drizzle of syrupy balsamic vinegar… it just is a marriage made in heaven…you can also play with the cheese type… I used goat’s cheese but you could use feta… even plain spreadable cream cheese if you’re not too fond of stringer tastes…Just experiment on flavours… I know, my last post was all about the strawberries too… I’m a liiiiiiitle obsessed, I admit!
- Goats cheese, 1/2 cup ( I get them in rolls here, so just use half a roll, it should be enough)
- 2 cups strawberries, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons basil, roughly chopped… you can leave some leaves whole if you prefer
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of black pepper
- ½ french baguette, cut into ½ inch slices or even thinner if you can
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
- Place the sliced crostini slices on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sea salt and a little cracked black pepper. Bake until slightly crisp about 8 minutes. Let cool.
- Spread goat cheese on toast and then layer strawberries over the top. Sprinkle with basil. Season with a little sea salt and pepper. Drizzle with thick balsamic and serve immediately.
I made these for a few close friends along with a light dinner of grilled mussels and my tequila salmon… it was just perfect and fun… I was a bit doubtful about the boys enjoying it but they did! I think for winter I’ll do a grilled cheese version of this..hmmm…
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