Yuppie Bruschetta
The Nitty Gritty:
An easy appetizer for a gang of friends or strangers.- Level: 1
- Prep Time: 10 minutes, plus 10-15 minutes in the oven
- Yields: 15 servings (about 30 toasts)
- Tags: appetizer
This dish originated from a last-minute trip to Whole Foods for hors d’oeuvres. After wandering aimlessly for 10 minutes, a baguette grasped absent-mindedly in hand, my eyes landed on Cibo Naturals Artichoke and Lemon Pesto. A few more ingredients later, a true science experiment was in order.
Fortunately, the end product was a huge hit, and I call it “Yuppie Bruschetta” because the only way to get all the ingredients in one place is to visit Whole Foods. Oh well.
There’s a quick recipe for traditional pesto at the bottom, in case you’d prefer the homemade variety.
Ingredients:
- 1 large French baguette
- 6 oz. Cibo Naturals Artichoke and Lemon Pesto, or homemade pesto (see below)
- 8 oz. Halloumi cheese
- 16 oz. marinated or fresh tomatoes, finely chopped
- kosher salt
- freshly ground pepper
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange baguette slices on a baking sheet and toast for about 6 minutes (3 minutes a side), until light brown and firm.
Spread a thin layer of pesto on each toast, covering completely. Top with tomatoes and a very thin slice of the Halloumi. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
Return to oven and bake for 6-7 minutes, until cheese is melted. Give the tray a few rounds of freshly ground black pepper and you're good to go.
Pesto
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano, coarsely grated (2/3 cup)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups loosely packed fresh basil
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Process garlic, basil, pine nuts, cheese, and S&P in a food processor; finely chop. With the food processor still running, add olive oil in a thin stream, blending until incorporated. (Store any leftover pesto in a plastic bag, or dish tightly covered in plastic wrap, for up to a week.)
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By Lauren McNally
Lauren B. McNally is a communications consultant in Washington, D.C., who spends most of her free time exploring culinary and oenological pursuits with friends. She hails from Maine and graduated from Bowdoin College, completing additional study at the University of Cambridge in the U.K.(where she found the dining hall cuisine rather offensive and repulsive, as opposed to that of the top-ranked Bowdoin Dining Service). Her palate is ever-evolving but she includes California Zinfandels, Cotes du Rhone, and white wines from Burgundy and the Loire Valley among her current favorites. Her least favorite wine-related phrase: “I don’t like _.” Lauren also enjoys cooking Italian and French cuisine, and has an unnatural obsession with Gorgonzola and pancetta.
About The Humble Gourmand
The Humble Gourmand is a monthly online publication edited by Alison L. McConnell, a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and writer. It is designed to offer straightforward lessons and advice to aspiring cooks, oenophiles, and all other eaters and drinkers.
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