A morning at the farmer’s market can be an inspiring
event. As I stroll through the isles of
produce and artesian items, I am intrigued by where the produce came from and
the story behind it. Whether it is the handmade artesian cheese, hand extracted honey or pickled
vegetables - the story is fascinating. When hubby and I walk to the farmer’s market on a Saturday morning,
we get our exercise in along with an assortment of market delights. Typically hubby goes to the coffee vendor and
I rush to the bakery to get the last few cheese puffs. Hubby gets me a hibiscus tea to carry with me
through our journey. A bit of ritual and tradition is nice thing to have in your life.
Right now, many of the vendors have phenomenal tomatoes
from baby cherry to large multicolored heirloom varietals. One vendor in particular, has the best tiny
orange tomatoes that are simply like eating candy. They are sweet, full of summer flavor
and we buy a couple baskets just to have in a large bowl to snack on during the week.
This week, I was inspired to make a bruschetta with these
orange nuggets of greatness. I brought a baguette from the bakery at the market
and purchased some fragrant basil to whip up some pesto. I finished it off with some fresh ricotta
cheese to make a summer bruschetta that was refreshing and was summer on a
plate. We enjoyed them with a crisp French
Rose that was a brilliant combination.
Hubby and I sat out in our backyard listening to the sounds of the water
coming out of the fountain, the birds were chirping and the weather was simply perfect
at 79 degrees. This was my idea of a
perfect Friday Night Bite!
Tomato and Pesto Bruschetta
Makes 8
8 Baguette Slices
Pesto
Fresh Basil
Ricotta Cheese
Small tomatoes
Salt and Pepper
Brush each slice of baguette with olive oil and sprinkle
with salt and pepper. Toast under the
broiler until golden brown. Let
cool. Spread with ricotta cheese, then
about a teaspoon of pesto and top with tomatoes cut in half. Slice basil leaves thin and top each one then
season with salt and pepper. Enjoy!
Basil Pesto
Sauce
2 C. Fresh
basil leaves, packed tightly
½ C. Parmesan
cheese, freshly grated
1/3 C. Pine
nuts, toasted
½ C. Olive oil
3 Garlic
cloves, smashed
Salt and pepper
to taste
Use a food
processor to make this sauce. Simply add the basil leaves, Parmesan
cheese, pine nuts and garlic cloves. Pulse for 10 seconds and then slowly
pour the olive oil into the mixture while food processor is on. Continue
to pulse until the mixture is smooth. Taste and then season with salt and
pepper. Place into an airtight container immediately so the bright green
color remains. Refrigerate until ready to use.
I could absolutely lose myself in a good farmer's market-simply divine. Your bruschetta is a perfect appetizer for late summer. Love it! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteVelva
I always say I could live on bruschetta (and dessert, of course!). Love your pesto addition!
ReplyDelete