Erin's #1 Tomato Recipe - Bruschetta

My absolute favorite appetizer during the summer is bruschetta. There is just nothing better than fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil on top of toasted bread. Actually, the bruschetta itself is great on top of any grilled meat or fish, in scrambled eggs for breakfast, or on top of a salad as a dressing. In fact, my garden consists mostly of tomato and basil plants so I can make as much bruschetta as I like without emptying my wallet on the store buying produce. My basil plants are doing great this year, but my tomatoes have about another 20-30 days before any fruit will be ready to pick.

So, I picked up a quart of tomatoes at the market and eagerly came home to throw this together. The recipe below is mine and the amounts are merely approximations. This is made so often at my house that I rarely measure it out. Which is great for everyone… If you like more garlic… put more in. If you don’t like vinegar… put in less. You get the idea.

One thing I never do it make this in the winter when the tomatoes in the store have been shipped thousands of miles and although they look nice, they are mealy and tasteless. Lucky for you I have posted this recipe at the start of tomato season, so you can make this many times for the months to come.



Bruschetta

3 tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup onion or shallot, minced
2 tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 tbs. olive oil
Sugar
Salt and Pepper
¼ cup basil, chiffonade or chopped

1 loaf good bread (French, ciabatta, etc.), sliced and toasted. (I usually toast my bread under the broiler or on the grill.)

1. Cut tomatoes in half, the gently squeeze them over the sink to get out most of the seeds and pulp. Cut tomatoes into a small dice. Should yield about 1 ½ cups. It is important to half a small dice because it will be easier to eat on top of the bread.

2. Toss tomatoes, garlic, onions, vinegar and oil in a bowl.

3. Sprinkle with about ½ teas sugar. (This helps cut the acid of the tomatoes.)

4. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in basil.

5. Serve over toasted bread.

Read more!

Spinach and Onion Dip

Eddie and I love to entertain – especially in the summer. So, I am always looking for quick and easy appetizers that I can put together for an unexpected dinner party. Flipping through a recent issue of Martha Stewart I can across a creamy spinach and onion dip. It looked delicious, but called for a few things that I rarely have in my kitchen – watercress and avocado. However, I liked the concept –a little cooking on the stovetop, the puree everything in the blender. So, I decided to create my own dip using ingredients that I normally have. It turned out really well. It is super nutritious – full of fresh spinach and yogurt. I used plain low-fat yogurt that was in my fridge. In the future I would prefer to use plain Greek yogurt to make the dip a little thicker. This is sure to make an appearance many times this summer when something refreshing is needed to combat the summer heat. Enjoy!

Spinach and Onion Dip

2 tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
10 oz. fresh spinach (Add more if you like)
1 c. plain yogurt
1 tbs. lemon zest
2 teas. fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper

1. Heat olive oil in large skillet.
2. Sauté onions until translucent (6-8 minutes).
3. Add garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute.
4. Add spinach to skillet and cook until spinach is wilted and most of the water that is released has evaporated.
5. Dump spinach mix into food processor. Add yogurt, lemon zest and lemon juice. Process until smooth.
6. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Place in refrigerator for at least one hour to set up.
8. Serve with veggies, pita chips of crackers.

Read more!