Again this week, I bought some more of the flavor-packed little heirloom cherry tomatoes that I used for my Market Inspired Pasta but this time I put them to good use in bruschetta. From the same farmer, I purchase a giant bundle of basil, and 6 heads of garlic, all of which came in handy in this recipe. I like to keep the oil leftover from roasting the tomatoes and the garlic to use over pasta another day.
Market Inspired Duet of Bruschetta - serves 2
1 head garlic
1 1/2 cups tomatoes, 1 cup whole, and 1 cup sliced in half and set aside
1/2 large ball (about 3 ounces) fresh mozzarella, preferably buffalo but not necessary
20 basil leaves, chiffonade
good olive oil
salt and pepper
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees
For the roasted garlic: Cut one head of garlic in half widthwise and place on a piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a little kosher salt. Fold up the foil to make a packet - leave air in - and place in the oven for 35-50 minutes. Check it at 35 minutes to see if it is softening. You can do this by carefully unwrapping the foil and gently squeezing the garlic with a pair of tongs.
For the tomatoes: Place the tomatoes in a small roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the reserved tomatoes, and the basil. Toss to coat and check for seasoning.
To assemble: Toast 4 large slices of good, crusty bread - I used Trader Joe's sourdough because that's what I had on hand, but you could also cut a loaf of ciabatta across and then into sections. Drizzle each slice with good olive oil. On one slice, spread 1/2 of the roasted garlic and sprinkle with kosher salt. On the other, place the sliced mozzarella and put in the oven until the cheese starts to melt. Place on plate and cover with tomato mixture.
For the Sauteed Veggies
1 small red onion, sliced
1 pound mixed squash - I used zucchini, pattypan, yellow, sunburst, and baby lavender eggplant
Salt and Pepper
Cooking spray
1 ounce vegetable stock (or chicken stock, or just a splash of water)
1 ounce dry white wine (or water)
4 tbsp butter (optional)
Cut the veggies in half lengthwise, and then across if they are pretty big, but I like to leave them in large chunks so that they maintain their pretty shapes. Preheat a large saute pan over medium heat and coat with cooking spray. Add the onions and cook until they just start to soften and color, and then add the squash, sauteing briefly to brown the cut sides slightly. Deglaze the pan with the vegetable stock and wine, cooking to reduce. If you are using baby squash here, or any good fresh squash, you really want their natural, summery flavor to come through, so leave them firm. If you want them softer, add a little more stock and wine, in equal parts. When they have cooked to the desired "doneness," stir in the butter until it melts, and then add salt and pepper to taste. The butter is not necessary, but it does add a nice richness.
