pictured with boudin balls
This appetizer that we offered at the party was a lighter alternative to the fried boudin balls and ultra gooey cheese fondue. I originally wanted to do a fresh tomato bruschetta with home-grown tomatoes, but due to some weather not being favorable (too much rain at one time), my tomatoes ended up with blossom end rot. I was a little bummed, but I took the unfavorable weather as a sign to just stay true to this recipe, which called for canned tomatoes. I’ll admit, I was skeptical about it tasting, well, canned, but in the end, it was delicious and no one could tell they were canned tomatoes. 🙂 I guess I can blame the fresh garlic and the basil that came straight from my backyard!
This recipe is so simple to put together too. You could get away with making the filling ahead of time, and just add to the bread the day-of after it’s slightly toasted.
Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Bruschetta
Source: Giada De LaurentiisIngredients:
- 1 (32-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, washed and spun dry
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large French baquettes, sliced 1-inch thick (about 36 slices)
- 1 1/2 pounds fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced 1/4-inch thick
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In the bowl of a food processor, add drained tomatoes, 1 cup basil leaves, olive oil and 2 cloves garlic. Pulse until smooth, but somewhat chunky. Season with salt and pepper.
- On a baking sheet, line up baguette slices. Toast in oven for about 3 minutes or until light golden brown. Working quickly, rub the remaining garlic on the toasted side of each slice and then lay a piece of mozzarella cheese on top. Place bread back in oven and melt cheese slightly, about 45 seconds. Remove from oven and spread one tablespoon of the tomato mixture on each piece.
- Place bruschetta on decorative platter and garnish with basil leaves.
This sounds so delicious with the fresh mozzarella!
Bummer about your tomatoes; that happened to some of mine as well. The bruschetta looks delish though!
Sorry for the off-topic comment, but I couldn’t get your contact form to work.
I’m writing from Muncie, IN, and we are looking to surprise some friends moving to the LSU area with gift certificates for local eateries. Local mom-and-pop type places where they’ll get great, affordable food (they’ve got four little girls) and a real taste of the local scene. (My friend is a big fan of local food and was very excited to learn they could get local rice at the farmer’s market. She’s that kind of foodie.)
She LOVES gelato, so Latte e Miele is on our list. Everything else I know about BR eateries has been from the Taste of Baton Rouge Web site — but I’d love to hear from a local foodie.
Any recommendations? The idea is that we can help them explore the city while saving them from having to cook while they’re unpacking.
Thank you!
Aww how sweet of you! I need to try that place for gelato…heard great things!
For a fun family mexican joint, my husband and I enjoy La Carreta. It’s affordable and has a wide variety of menu options (including kids menu). VooDoo BBQ is also really tasty and fairly reasonable. Louisiana cuisine-wise, Chimes is well-known but can get fairly pricey depending on what you want to get (some items are in the $10-$15 range though) and it’s just a fun atmosphere. The one on Coursey would probably be more family friendly since the other location is pretty cramped (near LSU).
This looks delish and not too complicated! 🙂