Summer Bruschetta
Seasonal list for June and a collection of Bruschetta recipes which make the perfect light meal, or aperitif. Whether savoury or sweet they are simply assembled and showcase Summer's produce.
Welcome to Notes from my Kitchen - delicious weekly recipes and inspiration to eat seasonally from an English garden.
There is a point in early Summer when the influx of new produce leaves me feeling a little overwhelmed as to what to write about and what to cook. Last week was just such a moment with the arrival of so many of my favourite ingredients (this usually repeats in the Autumn with harvest and the arrival of all the wonderful squash and pumpkins). In Summer I can feel a bit like a bee buzzing around the kitchen with too much choice. There is nothing like the austerity of Winter to bring laser focus to recipes and writing. This week’s recipes for bruschetta provide a solution to a tidal wave of beautiful Summer produce, whether savoury or sweet they are simply assembled and showcase great ingredients.
There is no time of day when a well made bruschetta would prove disappointing: an indulgent breakfast, a perfect brunch, a light meal, or an apéritif. This week I have chosen two savoury recipes and one sweet recipe to share. My husband and I ate them, over a working lunch, and agreed that they could be enjoyed at any time of day. I was in fact trying to photograph them as he got straight to eating them... I often am asked if the food and recipes I style get eaten and the answer is YES. I am definitely a home cook over and above a content creator. I am also by nature not wasteful, in fact quite the opposite. One of my guilty kitchen pleasures is a mountain of glass containers for storing leftovers in. There is nothing more satisfying to me, upon opening the fridge, then finding neat stacks of leftovers when I am feeling peckish.
To trace the origins of bruschetta leads us to ancient Rome, where it was a simple way to salvage stale bread. Olive growers would toast bread and rub it with garlic, then drizzle it with fresh olive oil to taste their produce. The Italian word "bruschetta" translates to "toasted bread". Today a traditional bruschetta would be lightly toasted ciabatta, topped with chopped tomatoes dressed in extra virgin olive oil with fresh basil. For a non-traditional bruschetta the combinations are plentiful but some simple “bruschetta maths” is a helpful guide to creating the best flavour combinations, my formula is: bread + base + topping.
Bread + Base + Topping
Bread - start simply with a slice of toasted bread, you can decide what bread however it must be grilled or toasted in my opinion. Choose bread with a sturdy crust, firm enough to hold the bruschetta topping. Italian bread, such as ciabatta, is ideal for a more traditional bruschetta but you could use slices of toasted baguette, or a great sourdough loaf with a good crust.
Base - a first layer for the bruschetta e.g. whipped ricotta, burrata, grated tomato, artichoke dip, smashed peas or beans and so on. All of these should be well seasoned and elevated with a drizzle of good quality olive oil.
Topping - finally to take the bruschetta to the next level finish with a contrasting flavour profile think fresh vegetables, or sweet fruits, or spicy chilli, or salty ham, or sour citrus, or delicate herbs. This will bring the bread and base together and create a complex and interesting flavour combination.
Here are some bruschetta we have enjoyed this week…
Recipes of the Week
Whipped Lemon Ricotta and Broad Bean Bruschetta
Creamy ricotta, spiked with lemon and zest, topped with fresh broad beans and a scattering of mint. Light, Summery and flavourful this is a delightful and classic combination.
Serves 2
Ingredients
150g ricotta
1 unwaxed lemon, juice and zest
1 teaspoon smoked chill flakes
sea salt and black pepper
handful of broad beans
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 slices of bread
1/2 clove of raw garlic
scatter with fresh mint
Method
Pod the broad beans. Add to a pan of boiling water, boil for 4-5 minutes until just cooked (depending on the size). Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl of iced water. After 1 min, drain and set aside. When the beans are cool slip them from the outer skins and discard, revealing the bright green inner beans which you transfer to a bowl. Dress the broad beans with extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon, season well with salt and black pepper.
Take a bowl and add the ricotta, zest of 1 lemon and juice of 1 lemon. Whisk to combine, the lemon juice will loosen the ricotta. Season generously with sea salt and black pepper, combine with the smoked chilli flakes.
Toast, or grill, two slices of bread. Once toasted brush once with a cut side piece of raw garlic. Drizzle with a little olive oil, then add a generous layer of the whipped ricotta. Top with the dressed broad beans and scatter with fresh mint. Serve.
Tomato and Olive Oil Bruschetta
This is my version of Pan con Tomate, or Spanish Tomato Bread. Sometimes on warm Summer days I will make this for breakfast and top with a hard boiled egg. Today I am serving it alongside the other Bruschetta; since my husband hates anchovies his is the one topped with basil. But you could make either version, or add anchovy and basil to both.
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 extra large Summer tomato, I am using a Pink Bull’s Heart tomato (which is a variety I am completely addicted to)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and black pepper
2 slices of bread
1/2 clove of raw garlic
anchovy fillets in olive oil
fresh basil leaves
Method
Grate the tomato into a flat bowl to separate the tomato flesh from the skin, discard the skin. If there is excess tomato liquid pour this off (you can reserve this for a great Tomatini cocktail, or add it to a salad dressing). Add extra virgin olive oil and season well with sea salt and black pepper.
Toast, or grill, two slices of bread. Once toasted brush once with a cut side piece of raw garlic. Drizzle with a little olive oil, then add a generous layer of the tomato mixture. Top with anchovies and scatter with fresh basil leaves. Serve.
Burrata, White Peach and Raspberry Bruschetta
I wanted to include a sweet bruschetta for contrast and these beautiful flat white peaches are now in season and needed to be used up. The combination of sweet fruit with the creamy burrata and drizzled with honey is divine. You could also use a hot honey, laced with chilli to finish this.
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 flat white peaches
small handful of raspberries
1 burrata
2 slices of bread
honey/ or hot-honey
Method
Peel the peaches and remove the stone, slice. Next toast, or grill, two slices of bread. Top each slice with 1/2 ball of burrata and spread over the toast. Top with freshly sliced white peaches and raspberries. Finish with honey and serve.
Seasonal List - June
An updated list of seasonal produce in the UK to eat and enjoy now.
Vegetables
artichoke, asparagus, aubergine, baby carrots, beetroot, broad beans, carrot, cabbage, chard, courgette, fennel, french beans, garlic, lettuce, mangetout, new potato, onion, pea, pepper, potato, radish, runner bean, salad leaves, spinach, spring cabbage, spring onion, summer squash, tomato, turnip, watercress
Fruits
apricot, blueberry, cherry, gooseberry, greengage, strawberry