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Broad bean bruschetta
Pod some fresh broad beans to make 2 cups. Drop in a bit of boiling water and cook for around 5 minutes till just done. Rinse under cold water and peel. Place in a bowl and mash lightly, adding a spoonful of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, some sea salt and pepper, and some finely chopped mint.
Pile onto toasted country bread slices lightly rubbed with garlic. Drizzle a little more olive oil overtop and garnish with small mint leaves.
Mix and match tomato bruschetta
Grill a couple slices of bread from a country loaf. Rub with a cut clove of garlic. Dice a handful of mixed-colour tomatoes (orange, tiger, canary, red, green) and divide between the two slices. Drizzle good-quality olive oil overtop. Season with sea salt and pepper. Garnish with small-leaf basil.
Ruby chard slice
This is a lovely and vibrant winter snack or appetizer. Cut a few slices from a country loaf and toast. Rub with a cut clove of garlic and set aside.
Meanwhile, finely chop a half dozen ruby chard stalks along with one fat garlic clove. Stir fry in a little olive oil till nicely softened. Pile onto the bread slices and sprinkle on some sea salt and pepper. Add a drizzle of olive oil and serve.
Aperitivo Hour: Cannellini bean bruschetta with smoked garlic
In a food processor blitz a can (150g) cannellini beans (rough or smooth, depending on what you prefer). Pour into a small frying pan with a little olive oil and stir around till warmed through. Season with sea salt and pepper. You can also add a dash of truffle oil.
Toast four small slices of sourdough bread, rub with a cut clove of smoked garlic. Spread the puree overtop and sprinkle with some chili flakes. Add a drizzle of olive oil and serve along with a glass of Pugliese Primitivo (aka Zinfandel), such as the organic Fatalone.
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Red and yellow cherry tomato mini-bruschetta
I can’t get enough of a tomato bruschetta. So fresh, so easy to make, really healthy, and oh so pretty. Have some for a quick lunch on Saturday, serve them as an appetizer for friends, bring them along to a picnic.
Rub a cut clove of garlic on some toasted rye deli bread slices (or little rye rounds). Spread on some soft goats cheese (or the milder cheese curd or cream cheese). Add a dollop of black tapenade. Mound chopped red and yellow cherry tomatoes. Add a good sprinkling of freshly ground sea salt and pepper, a drizzle of olive oil, and some torn basil leaves.
There you have it - a perfectly formed
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Tomato Bruschetta - rustic-style
Have I mentioned tomato season has started?!
So here’s how to make one of my all-time favourite snacks. Toast a piece of rustic bread. Rub with a cut clove of garlic (as much or as little as you can handle). Add some chopped tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil, a dash of salt and pepper, and a torn basil leaf.
For a more elegant version, use French croutons or crositinis (thin rounds of baguette which have been dried) instead of the toast, and finely chop the tomatoes.
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