Rustic Tomato Bruschetta

Sometimes dinner just needs to be something light to accompany a fabulous bottle of wine. This bruschetta is perfect for a breezy summer evening with friends and family. This recipe is basically just an outline. Add anything you would like! Capers would be a fantastic addition, as would chopped bell pepper or a little mozzarella sprinkled over the top. A good bread is crucial as a base for your bruschetta. The foodiecall kitchen used an amazing French baguette from the Black Bird Baking Company in Lakewood, Ohio. Check them out if you are in the area.  

What you need:

1 French Baguette

4 or 5 Tomatoes, any color or variety.

¼ of a large red onion (about 1/3 cup chopped)

1 clove of garlic, minced plus 1 clove to rub on bread

¼ cup basil, chopped

6 tbs olive oil, plus more for baguette

2 tbs balsamic vinegar

1 ½ tsp kosher salt

½ tsp pepper

Chop tomatoes into cubes. These can be whatever size you want them to be. Chop red onion and add to tomatoes. Add garlic, salt and pepper.

Add olive oil and balsamic vinegar to tomatoes, cover bowl with plastic wrap. This can be refrigerated for up to 3 hours or served immediately.

Meanwhile, slice baguette into ½ to ¾ inch rounds and place on foil lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and a little salt. Toast in 350 degree oven for about 4 minutes or until slightly crisp.

Rub the toasted rounds with a clove of garlic, sliced in half. Top baguette rounds with tomato topping and chopped basil.

Serve immediately.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

I make this at least twice a month and nobody seems to get tired of it. It’s so incredibly easy to make and so tasty. Also a billion times better than any of that restaurant crap.

 

Ingredients:

12 oz cream cheese (1 ½ 8 oz packages)

1 1/3 cup shredded mozzerella

¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 container mariniated, quartered artichokes

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tsp thyme, dried

1 tsp oregano, dried

2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (f) and oil bottom and sides of pie pan or gratin dish. *Really any oven safe glass bake ware would be fine as long as you leave about ½ inch of space on top for the potential bubbles.

Blend all ingredients in bowl of electric mixer.

Scrape mixture into oven safe dish and smooth the top. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another ten minutes until slightly brown on top.

Serve immediately with pita chips (see recipe) or toasted French bread rounds.

Pita Chips

Serve these with any sort of dip or jut eat them alone. These were created especially for the spinach artichoke dip above.

Ingredients: 

1 package of pita bread (The foodiecall kitchen like plain old white but you can use whole wheat or any of the fancy schmancy flavored ones)

 

2 tbs oregano

2 ½ tbs dried thyme leaves

1 tbs cracked black pepper

½ tsp ground mustard

¾ tbs garlic powder

2 tbs sea salt

Olive oil

Pre-heat oven to 350. Line two or three cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Cut pita bread rounds in half. Then cut the halves into three or four sections. At this point the two facing sides of the pita bread should be attached. Pull those apart and toss into big bowl.

Pour in enough olive oil to coat all chips. Toss with seasoning mix and divide chips between baking sheets. Spread into one layer on sheet.

 Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until chips are only slightly crispy and golden. Dont worry if some of the chips still feel sorta floppy. They typically harden up when they cool.