Leftover tomatoes and basil? No problem!
TGIF. I've been feeling pretty blah for the past couple of days, but it feels nice to relax now. I had to leave work early today because I was feeling so nauseous :/ I think I have a serious case of GERD. I have been having a dry cough for a few months and I just feel queasy. Guess that doesn't mean much unless you're a med school geek like me, but believe me, it's no fun.
I left work around 2:30 and I was hoping that I would feel a little better after the drive home so I could get some stuff done. But.. still feeling poopy. I really wanted to go to the mall and get these super cute riding boots that I can wear this fall, and I was going to stop off at the grocery store to buy some food to cook for Mikey tonight. It's gonna be our last meal together for a while! He's going to Indianapolis (about 3 hours away) for a urology rotation and he's leaving tomorrow. I'm really sad because he and I are basically inseparable. I stay at his place for weeks, sometimes months at a time and now we won't really see each other for 3 months (he's going to Chicago after Indianapolis and then I'm going to Dayton for a rotation). Boo. Guess it's just a taste of what residency will be like. Gotta prepare myself!
Anyways, since this is a food blog, let's talk about something yummy!
A few days ago I made a caprese salad so I have a bunch of basil and a few vine-ripened tomatoes leftover. Not wanting any of it to go to waste, I decided to make one of my favorite appetizers - tomato and basil bruschetta. Bru-SKetta, or bru-SHetta, however you pronounce it, is actually the bread - the word bruschetta is derived from the word "bruscare", which means to roast over coals. We Americans have butchered both the pronunciation and the actual definition of the word! Anyhow, I'm just going to call my recipe tomato and basil bruschetta because I am American I don't really know what else to call it.
As with the caprese salad, I prefer my tomato and basil bruschetta topping to consist of nice, fresh ingredients. No canned tomatoes, no dried basil, and no jarred garlic. Please. I kind of threw this recipe together with the ingredients that I had on hand, so feel free to modify to your liking. This recipe is a little heavy on the garlic, just to warn you. I have also done this recipe with a couple of teaspoons of balsamic vinegar stirred in and it is equally as delicious. You can also top your bruschetta with a little fresh mozzarella cheese and have a little caprese salad on toast! Well I hope you enjoy this recipe. It takes about 10 minutes to make, and most of that time is spent chopping.
Oh by the way, the Kroger by Mike's apartment had chunks of Parmigiano Reggiano on sale for $3/lb! Not the "parmesan" cheese from Wisconsin or whatever, but the actual stuff from Italy (it was stamped on the rind). No offense to Wisconsin cheese - I loooove cheese and will eat almost any kind of cheese from Wisconsin any day, but I think that real Parmigiano Reggiano just has a unique flavor that cannot be replicated. I think it was so cheap because they were corner pieces with a lot of rind, but you can just use the rind in a soup or stock. Or you can give it to your dog! Just kidding, don't give it to your dog - he might choke and I couldn't live with that. I think that my dog would just poop it out whole. Haha, well enjoy the recipe!
Tomato and Basil Bruschetta
Print this recipe
TGIF. I've been feeling pretty blah for the past couple of days, but it feels nice to relax now. I had to leave work early today because I was feeling so nauseous :/ I think I have a serious case of GERD. I have been having a dry cough for a few months and I just feel queasy. Guess that doesn't mean much unless you're a med school geek like me, but believe me, it's no fun. I left work around 2:30 and I was hoping that I would feel a little better after the drive home so I could get some stuff done. But.. still feeling poopy. I really wanted to go to the mall and get these super cute riding boots that I can wear this fall, and I was going to stop off at the grocery store to buy some food to cook for Mikey tonight. It's gonna be our last meal together for a while! He's going to Indianapolis (about 3 hours away) for a urology rotation and he's leaving tomorrow. I'm really sad because he and I are basically inseparable. I stay at his place for weeks, sometimes months at a time and now we won't really see each other for 3 months (he's going to Chicago after Indianapolis and then I'm going to Dayton for a rotation). Boo. Guess it's just a taste of what residency will be like. Gotta prepare myself!
Anyways, since this is a food blog, let's talk about something yummy!
A few days ago I made a caprese salad so I have a bunch of basil and a few vine-ripened tomatoes leftover. Not wanting any of it to go to waste, I decided to make one of my favorite appetizers - tomato and basil bruschetta. Bru-SKetta, or bru-SHetta, however you pronounce it, is actually the bread - the word bruschetta is derived from the word "bruscare", which means to roast over coals. We Americans have butchered both the pronunciation and the actual definition of the word! Anyhow, I'm just going to call my recipe tomato and basil bruschetta because I am American I don't really know what else to call it. As with the caprese salad, I prefer my tomato and basil bruschetta topping to consist of nice, fresh ingredients. No canned tomatoes, no dried basil, and no jarred garlic. Please. I kind of threw this recipe together with the ingredients that I had on hand, so feel free to modify to your liking. This recipe is a little heavy on the garlic, just to warn you. I have also done this recipe with a couple of teaspoons of balsamic vinegar stirred in and it is equally as delicious. You can also top your bruschetta with a little fresh mozzarella cheese and have a little caprese salad on toast! Well I hope you enjoy this recipe. It takes about 10 minutes to make, and most of that time is spent chopping.
Oh by the way, the Kroger by Mike's apartment had chunks of Parmigiano Reggiano on sale for $3/lb! Not the "parmesan" cheese from Wisconsin or whatever, but the actual stuff from Italy (it was stamped on the rind). No offense to Wisconsin cheese - I loooove cheese and will eat almost any kind of cheese from Wisconsin any day, but I think that real Parmigiano Reggiano just has a unique flavor that cannot be replicated. I think it was so cheap because they were corner pieces with a lot of rind, but you can just use the rind in a soup or stock. Or you can give it to your dog! Just kidding, don't give it to your dog - he might choke and I couldn't live with that. I think that my dog would just poop it out whole. Haha, well enjoy the recipe!
Ingredients
1 narrow Italian or French loaf of bread
1 head garlic, cut in 1/2 crosswise
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper
¼ freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
1. Preheat oven on broiler setting. Place a rack approximately 6 inches from broiler.
2. Slice the loaf of bread, on the bias, into 3/4-inch slices. Place bread in oven on sheet pan and broil, approximately 1 minute on each side.
3. Remove to a platter and rub each slice of bread with the garlic and then brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and return to oven for 1 minute, or until cheese is melted. (watch carefully so it doesn't burn!)
4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Tomato and Basil BruschettaPrint this recipe
Ingredients
3 firm vine-ripened tomatoes, diced (about 2 cups)
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped
1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan cheese, grated
Directions
1. In a medium sized bowl, combine tomatoes, garlic, basil, and olive oil. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Allow to sit for 10 minutes for flavors to marry. Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired.
I don't know if I'll be back to post for a few days. I am helping Mikey move tomorrow and then going back to my apartment to clean, clean, clean! It is a crazy mess at my apartment because I have only been back to drop off dirty clothes and pick up clean ones this past month. Oh well. Have a great weekend, everyone!
xoxo <3
Nhu-Y
I don't know if I'll be back to post for a few days. I am helping Mikey move tomorrow and then going back to my apartment to clean, clean, clean! It is a crazy mess at my apartment because I have only been back to drop off dirty clothes and pick up clean ones this past month. Oh well. Have a great weekend, everyone!
xoxo <3
Nhu-Y
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