I grew up in an Italian household. While the other kids were baking chocolate chip cookies with their grandmas, mine was showing me the fine art of drying vegetable seeds for planting in the garden the following season. Sounds strange perhaps, but it was a glorious childhood. One filled with good food, good friends, and good family. Weekends were always spent with aunts and uncles and cousins to play with. The smells coming from the kitchen were amazing; fresh tomato, basil, cheeses, and in the fall the smell of grapes filled the basement as Grandpa set to making his wine. It goes without saying that those experiences have really molded me into the person I am today.
Having moved out after college, those weekend visits to Mom and Dad’s, Grandma and Grandpa’s became so important to me because, well…I was too lazy to cook for just myself. Thank god for Moms.
Recently, I purchased my first home with my significant other and we’ve been doing much more entertaining. The single life mentality is gone – I cannot have cereal for dinner, Pop-Tarts (while yummy!) are no longer on the dinner menu. I cook, and I cook often. The best part is when we cook together, most nights its just something fast, like a burger on the grill, skinless chicken breasts and veggies, and my favorite stand by “soup and sandwich” night. My reality is that I can’t spend the hours that my mom and grandma spent in the kitchen when I was a little girl and the other reality is that I just can’t consume those same calories anymore. So Monday through Thursdays in my household consists of good but quick meals, Friday nights we go out or order in and the weekends…well the weekends are for friends and family. They’re for entertaining. The more the better, just like when I was a little girl.
In this column, I’ll be sharing with you recipes that have worked for me. If my friends nod their heads up and down while feverishly cramming said food into their mouths, you’ll find the recipe here. If they bite into said food, smile politely but push it to the side of their plate while taking in a mouthful of wine to chase the badness out of their mouths, you won’t find it here.
Having said that, I’ll share a very simple appetizer recipe that’s FAST and easy to make. I make it often in the summer and pull it out of the fridge when friends stop by. It’s easy picky food for when you’re sitting outside, on your deck, patio, or even your front stoop.
Bruschetta
Prep Time (15 minutes)
Will feed 6-8 adults
6-7 Vine Ripened Tomatoes (tomatoes on the vine/Roma)
2 Small Cloves of Garlic (finely chopped)
Dried Oregano (to your taste)
Fresh Basil (chopped)
Salt (to your taste)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Loaf of narrow Italian or French Bread (sliced 3/4 inch thick and cut on a bias)
1. Chop tomatoes making certain to squeeze out the seeds and excess water from the center of the tomato and disregard.
2. Toss tomatoes into a bowl with the extra virgin olive oil. Eyeball the olive oil, you need just enough so that the tomatoes are sitting in the olive oil (maybe 1/4 a cup or less)
3. Add garlic, basil, oregano and salt – toss together. I tend to use little garlic and finely chop because I don’t want the garlic to overshadow the taste from the tomatoes. I add salt slowly (you can always add more but you can’t take it out once you’ve added it. You do not want this recipe to be overly salty.)
4. Cover the bowl with wrap and set in fridge. Let chill for 1-2 hours prior to serving. The salt will pull all the great tomato taste out and will add flavor to the olive oil.
When your friends arrive, lightly toast the bread slices in the oven or on your outdoor grill. Place bread slices on a platter, spoon tomatoes on top, and serve.
Enjoy!
Ellie
