UPS UPDATE: “The trailer is now late.” What?? I’ve given up and said baking that was lovingly packed is likely “trailer trash” now… ON a lighter note…
News alert, researchers discover that eating just one tiny Hallowe’en candy can trigger the demise of an entire bag. Gee, thanks tips! I could have told you that one and saved you some money!
What I also know, is that nothing can get you back onto a “savory” track faster than a delicious bruschetta. Wonderful before dinner or… wonderful as dinner depending on how fancy your dinners get. Personally, I love having easy weeknight suppers, like scrambled eggs on toast, cheese and crackers, or an appetizer like this one…
It’s perfect for Book Club too, where everyone likes to bring their latest recipes and the hostess only has to provide the wine… lots and lots of wine and dessert. We do eventually get around to a frank discussion… of “the book” (this month it’s “The First Day of the Rest of My Life”… but then it’s back to the food… and the wine…
I’ve said this often, but I love this group of women, their gentle intelligence, sense of humor, and talent in the kitchen is impressive… love you Sue (my cooking guru), Denise (my outdoorsy Canmore connection), Tami (the pie making goddess), and Robyn (the beautiful business major who knows all the best new reads). And I shan’t forget Chelsea our vivacious yet scholarly joie de vivre, who pops in after a long night studying and shares the latest University crowd gossip. Together we can solve the world’s problems:) or drink ourselves silly trying… Our favorite books are listed under the tab Bookshelf.
Best of Book Club Bruschetta
Best of Book Club Bruschetta
- 3 large heirloom tomatoes (the more colorful the better)
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes
- 6-8 black cerignola olives, pitted and chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar (keeps from discoloring bruschetta)
- 3 leaves basil, minced
- pinch of sea salt
- pinch of cracked pink peppercorns (ok black if you don’t have any)
- 1 large buffalo mozzarella
- 1 large french baguette (not sourdough)
- Pre-heat oven to broil setting.
- Slice tomatoes in 1/4’s, using fingers, scoop out the seeds. Dice into a fine enough chop for top of baguette toasts. Add garlic, diced sun-dried tomatoes, cerignola olives, olive oil, white balsamic vinegar and stir to mix well. Stir in basil then season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Slice bread on the diagonal. Place on baking sheet and broil until only lightly crisped.
- Remove from oven, spoon generous spoonful of bruschetta mixture on each slice of baguette. Slice a few pieces of buffalo mozzarella and lay on top to cover.
**I’m sure any olive can be substituted, but the cerignola have a lovely, sweet buttery flavor.
looking very nice can i taste ,,,.hahaahahah
Wish you could:)
Wonderful things you are talking about… I wished to be there dear Barbara. What a beautiful recipe this, your photographs wanted me to eat them all… Seems so delicious. Thank you for sharing with us, ah, how I wished you all to solve the world’s problems I am sure it would be better than politicians… 🙂 With my love, nia
You’d be welcome to visit our little book club, Nia!
“your photographs wanted me to eat them all” sorry for my funny language dear Barbara, I am sure you understand these words… But I correct myself, “Your photographs made me to eat them all!” Love, nia
I am impressed that you can even speak a second language.. I cannot!
I’m going to make-up a batch of these today. Maybe have them for lunch while my brain crunches on my next NovPAD creation. 😀
They were so lovely, I made them twice:) Once for family and once for Book Club. What is NovPAD??
These bruschetta look lovely. Book clubs are the best; yours sound like a great group.
Yes… it is awesome to belong to different groups of amazing women:)
Great blog, am loving the look of this bruschetta – so light, yet so delicious.
My daughter thought it was so pretty it looked better suited as a spring bruschetta:) Not sure if heirloom tomatoes are very frugal, but maybe from the farmer’s market they are…
How wonderful to have a bookclub with intelligent women to chat with. And bruschetta. Sometimes I MISS the city and people.. c
Well, you will just have to chat us wordpress gals up:) Isn’t this the same thing??? Well.. almost??
What a nice mix of flavors for your bruschetta and so colorful, too. What a lucky book club!
Thanks! I was wondering what an authentic italian bruschetta would have in it??
I know what I’m having with soup this weekend! Super big YUM on this one! Do you ever drizzle reduced Balsamic (the dark stuff) on yours? There was a time, at the resto where I last worked, when I was making a lot of bruschetta, and I liked sending it out with a good drizzle. I could eat the stuff (and … maybe … did) by the teaspoon.
(I have to try and remind myself NOT to read your blog before eating brekkie. Gets me every time!)
I love that reduced stuff… much sweeter and delectible! I usually drizzle over a simple buffalo mozzarella cheese quartered with tomatoes, s and p… and a drizzle of olive oil… ok, now I’m hungry too!!
I’m drooling. Bruschetta is my personal party-trick. I have never seen those olives before, they’re enormous!
It is easy and looks so elaborate:) Yes, I think any olive would work but I liked how sweet they were (instead of vinegary)
Those tomatoes look great. I love this recipe. And you’re right I wanted to drink the balsamic.
Lol, yeah, in a photo perspective and size is lost… def looked like wine to me. I’ve had this stuff and didn’t know how to use it at first:)
Delicious, all of it, as usual. I’m with Nia: I could eat the photos themselves!
I don’t have a book club, but have found the same sort of stimulating, wise and entertaining company among my blog friends, not least of all you!
Honey, you are the book, er, I am author for a “Book Club”. I love reading your blog, full of wit and wisdom:)
xoxo 🙂
Those heirloom tomatoes are gorgeous! I can imagine how amazing they’d taste on this bruschetta. Especially with that melted cheese on top, mmmm. 🙂
It is so yummy, I wish I could share. A friend found mini red and green tomatoes… trying to think what they could be called? Tomatillo maybe?? Or not??
Mmmm, bruschetta. I love it, but have never had it anywhere but at a restaurant. Yours looks lovely – and now I’m off to look at your book list. 🙂
Yes… I need to update that list. I’ve been reading like crazy this fall. I’d love to know any books of yours that you’ve read and loved??
We just read Still Alice by Lisa Genova and it was amazing! Have you read the other Jeanette Walls book, Half Broke Horses? I liked just as much as Glass Castle. And The Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is great, too. I pretty much could list about 30 books, but I’ll start with those for now. 😉
I forgot to ask if there are any you loved from your list…
The First Day of the Rest of My Life wasn’t a “keeper”, but I love the rest listed under the “Bookshelf” tab at the top. I loved The Thirteenth Tale… a book about a book:) and the people who owned it… My favorite. I haven’t read Half Broke Horses but have heard it is excellent!
Looks lovely and delicious! Think I might have to serve this as a pre-dinner snack at my next dinner party. 🙂
They would be perfect for that. Thanks for the compliment:)
Of course I would have to omit the tomatoes but everything else look absolutely amazing. Now I’m so hungry lol and want to read a book.
I forgot you don’t eat tomatoes:)
I love bruschetta and that looks amazing. Great flavours there for sure. If I had the ingredients I’d make this right now as you have made me very hungry. Beautiful and inspiring photography too.
Thanks so much! Had some tonight for supper.. love leftovers. Now I can go through comments and other posts before heading out…
A little (a lot of) wine helps most things go swimmingly. 🙂
I’m a firm believer of that one:)
Who needs books when you can have this wonderful bruschetta? (just kiddin’ of course…)
Book clubs sound like a fun thing to do, I end up having to read so much stuff for my work, that what’s left as reading energy goes to…. cookbooks! 😉
Ohhh, don’t you love a new cookbook?!! I have to resist…
Your photo of that bruschetta made with heirloom tomatoes and that melting cheese is so tempting. Just beautiful and very tasty with a nice glass of wine.
It was, different from other bruschettas… if you were here I’d give you some:)
That bruschetta looks awesome! And how did you like the book?
Thanks! The book got mixed reviews, thumbs half way up. It had a good ending but none of us liked the author’s style of writing (for “The First Day of the Rest of My Life”). Don’t buy it, I’ll give it to you when my mom gets home with it this Christmas:)
Yes, bruschetta would easily keep me away from the Halloween treats. I could eat bruschetta all day long! And my daughter has a definite obsession with balsamic, so these would be up her alley too. 🙂
It’s one of my fav appetizers:) How about balsamic glaze… yum!
That looks wonderful! I just had dinner and thought I was full, but I find myself craving some bruschetta now. 🙂
🙂 I’m always craving something…
I have gone over a number of your postings – I get hungry with everything I see. Great cooking! I wanted to mention that the picture you saw on my most recent posting was not the ocean, though it does look like that. It is the shore in form of my home and garden, Lake Michigan. I will agree it is big and looks like an ocean – but is my home here!
There was a time when I thought I could live on bruschetta. There’s something about the crunchy bread with all the toppings full of flavor that just get my heart beating faster. These look terrific!
They are yummy:) Glad they brought back some memories for you. xx