Bruschetta
You might've heard, but Cole and I just got back from a week long vacation in Austin! It was seriously the best time ever. We ate, drank, listened to some awesome music and ate and drank some more. So much tasty food was consumed, so I'd say it was a great success.
More importantly, so much meat was consumed. My meat loving self was in complete barbecue heaven! But, believe it or not, there can be too much of a good thing. So when we arrived back in Seattle, eight hours after our last barbecue meal, belly still completely full of delicious smoked meats, I realized two things:
Wow, everything really is bigger in Texas!
No more red meat. Ever.
OK, ever is a very strong statement. But you get the idea. It was time for a hiatus from red meat at the very least!
One of my favorite meat-free recipes I love to whip up is my infamous bruschetta.
I'm biased because I think my bruschetta is pretty darn tasty. I make mine with my classic, easy vinaigrette as a base, lots of fresh tomatoes, red onion and basil. And for something different, I add a nice healthy handful of rich Gorgonzola crumbles. Even for not the biggest fans of Gorgonzola/blue cheese, this ingredient just works with classic bruschetta flavors!
But the best part of my bruschetta? The bread, baby! Instead of just some plain, boring toasted bread, I drizzle some good sourdough with olive oil, pop it on the grill for smokiness, and rub it with a raw garlic clove to infuse even more garlic flavor into the bread while it's warm. It's seriously good.
Disclaimer: this bruschetta must be eaten if you're completely, 100% comfortable with the people you're eating it with AKA this bruschetta results in some severe garlic breath! You've been warned. But will you be happy about it? Oh yes!
Bruschetta
Ingredients
Sourdough baguette, sliced in 1/2 inch think slices
2 cups grape tomatoes, quartered
1/2 red onion, diced
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup gorgonzola crumbles
1 garlic clove, minced plus 1 for bread
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons white balsamic vineagar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus extra for bread
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Directions
In a medium sized bowl, combine garlic, mustard and vinegar. Slowly add olive oil to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes, red onion and basil and set aside.
Heat a grill to medium-high heat. Drizzle bread slices generously with olive oil. Grill bread for about a minute on each side, until bread is crisp and slightly golden. Remove bread slices from grill and immediately rub surface of bread with a garlic clove. Use an oven mitt here because the bread will be hot!
Right before serving, add gorgonzola crumbles to tomato mixture and stir gently to combine. Serve over grilled bread slices - enjoy!
