Cherry Tomato, Herb and Smoked Gouda Bruschetta

Here is such a delicious and interesting twist on the well-loved appetizer, bruschetta.  Browsing through Food and Wine recently, I came upon this 'salsa' recipe which I decided would make delicious version of bruschetta.  The recipe incorporates smoked Gouda cheese. Since Gouda is a mild cheese, you'll hardly know it's there as it doesn't overpower the tomatoes, it just gives the recipe a rich, full flavor!  The first time I ever used smoked gouda in a recipe was this eggplant parmigiana and the results were delicious!

I know fresh tomato season is over for some of you, but I have quite an abundance right now. We've been enjoying many of our favorites, such as BLATs (Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado and Tomato Sandwiches), fresh tomato pasta and tomato salads lately :)  I will be harvesting the last of the tomatoes in the next couple of weeks and I plan on enjoying them as much as possible! My herb pots are still supplying me with all the fresh herbs I need for hopefully another month also.

For my husband and myself, this could easily be dinner.  For the two of us, I lightly toasted the baguette slices in the toaster and then brushed them with extra-virgin olive oil and a few grinds of fresh pepper.  For more servings, it would be best to toast them in the oven on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and pepper before toasting in the oven.

If you still have fresh tomatoes or access to a farmers' market, I hope you give these a try! DE-licious!

Cherry Tomato, Herb and Smoked Gouda Bruschetta

Adapted from Food and Wine
Printable Recipe

2 cups mixed yellow and red cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup finely diced smoked Gouda, or any mild, smoked cheese (2 1/2 ounces)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons shredded basil
2 tablespoons snipped chives
Salt and freshly ground pepper

A French Baguette, sliced on the diagonal into 1/4 to 1/2" slices Extra Virgin Olive Oil for brushing on bread slices Freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350 (or use your toaster, set on low).

In a medium bowl, toss the tomatoes with the cheese, parsley, basil and chives. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and set aside.

To toast the baguette slices:

If toasting the bread slices in the oven, place them on a baking sheet.  Brush lightly with olive oil and give each a sprinkle of ground black pepper.  Toast in the preheated oven for about 5-6 minutes.  Watch carefully, you don't want them hard - just a light golden color.  This will make them easier to bite into without the toasts breaking in your mouth.  If you are making a smaller amount and use a toaster, also watch carefully for the same reason.  Brush toaster-made slices with olive oil right after coming out of the toaster and sprinkle with a little ground black pepper. 

Top toasted baguette slices with the tomato, herb and cheese mixture and enjoy immediately!

Cheesy Puff Pastry Pinwheels with Power Greens

I can't believe it's already August and two weeks from my last post!  We have gone from a cool, rainy spring and early summer, and are still stuck in a cooler-than-normal weather pattern here in the Midwest, but we are trying to enjoy as many mid to late summer activities as we can possibly can with friends and family. 

These tasty little morsels were created just after making the roasted tomato tarts from my last post.  I had a good sized portion of puff pastry dough left and hated to throw it away so I looked on the puff pastry box for inspiration and saw a recipe for spinach pinwheels using thawed, frozen spinach.  I didn't have frozen spinach but what I did have in the frig was several ounces of organic power greens that were going to be thrown out if I didn't use them quickly.  I also had some mozzarella and shredded Parmesan in the freezer.  A sprinkle of dried red bell pepper flakes, hot red pepper flakes, and a sprinkle of ground pepper.  Ready, set, roll!

I didn't measure anything but I think I used about...

1/2 sheet of thawed frozen puff pastry, rolled on a floured surface into a rectangle
2 cups of bagged or boxed organic salad greens (kale, spinach, baby chard)
2 teaspoons of dried red bell pepper flakes (love that stuff)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of hot red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Pinch of salt - optional as the cheeses are salty
1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese

1 egg, whisked with a teaspoon of water to seal the puff pastry and egg wash for the pinwheels

I layered everything on my puff pastry, rolled it up tightly, lengthwise - brushing the last 1 inch edge of puff pastry with the egg wash to seal it together.  Then, I cut it the roll into approximately 1-1/2 inch slices and placed them on a silicon-mat-lined baking sheet and brushed each slice with additional egg wash.

375 oven - 15/20 minutes or until golden and voila!

If you're looking for quick, easy and delicious appetizer for your busy summer, give this a try.  They are delicious! Be daring and adapt them to whatever you have on hand :)