BOLD Bruschetta
Almost all Italian restaurants in the U.S. have bruschetta on the menu as an appetizer. Bruschetta is toasted baguette slices rubbed with garlic and topped with chopped tomato and basil. Sometimes, these little slices of heaven have a balsamic reduction drizzle. This is the traditional American version of bruschetta.
But like everything in my life, I like to challenge the norm. So I decided to make bruschetta boldly and elevate it to make it my own. I still love the traditional notion of bruschetta so I left the yummy toasted slices alone which means I grill instead of toast. The boldness happens in the toppings.
The Traditional Part…
It brings me joy to buy my favorite gluten-free baguette from BFree. (This is not a paid sponsorship. I just like BFree’s products.) I slice the baguette into even discs and grill, not toast, them on my stove-top grill pan* so they are crispy on the outside and softly chewy on the inside. After grilling them, I rub the still-hot discs with a garlic clove and dip them in fragrant extra virgin olive oil.
*My grill pan is not that big so if I’m having a crowd over for dinner, this task can take a long time. When I don’t have enough time, I’ll put the baguette slices on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven at 425-degree. This takes about 5-6 minutes.
I love the grill marks of the grill pan!
The BOLD, Elevated, Creative Part…
I like tradition and am also enamored by boldly creative, elevated, and, yes, eccentric twists. So for my bruschetta, I twist the toppings.
Mushroom Topping
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil*
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
2-3 smashed garlics cloves
A lot of sliced mushrooms (If you think you have a lot, then add another 1-2 handfuls and you will have enough)
Italian flat-leaf parsley (I use a lot because I love parsley but you can use as much or as little as you like.)
Salt and pepper
Heat the olive oil, add the fresh rosemary sprig and smashed garlic cloves and sauté in a large skillet. Add the mushrooms and cook them over high heat until the liquid from the mushrooms is evaporated and the mushrooms are crispy brown. Remove the skillet from the stove and take the rosemary sprig and smashed garlic cloves out of the pan. Let the mushrooms cool completely, then add the chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
You can make this topping 2-3 days in advance. If you are making it ahead of time, keep the rosemary and smashed garlic cloves in the mixture. When you want to use the topping, take it out of the fridge and let sit until room temperature, then remove the rosemary and garlic, add the chopped parsley and salt and pepper to taste.
Tomato Topping
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced
1 tsp minced oregano (you can use dried oregano too but fresh is best)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs lemon juice
Basil leaves
Salt and pepper
Lemon zest
Mix all the ingredients together about 30 minutes before you want to use this topping except the lemon zest. Once the topping is put on the bruschetta, grate fresh lemon zest over the tomato topping.
*The lemon juice and zest is my BOLD, elevated twist. Adding an acidic element to the topping really accentuates and brightens the other ingredients.
Walnut Garlic Topping
1/4 cup coarsely chopped raw walnuts
2-3 garlic clove minced
Salt and pepper
7 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Combine all the ingredients and spread a single layer on a baking sheet. Put the baking sheet in a 250-degree oven, and roast for 3-6 minutes, just until the walnuts start to brown. I suggest shaking the baking sheet a few times during the 3-6 minutes so the walnuts brown evenly. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature before using.
