Recuperation Wednesday

For your Wednesday evening, how about bruschetta? The fun thing about this meal is that it isn't limited to dinner, doesn't require a stove, and can be prepared in advance (except for toasting the bread - I like to be able to taste the heated oil).

My parents have always enjoyed casual, bread and produce-based meals, and it's especially good for really hot days at the beach. You can expand the toppings - roast the tomatoes, make a few different types of pesto, purchase some ham - or just leave it at basil and tomato (interpreted as you wish). This time around, I had bought a lot of fresh vegetables from the farmers markets and wanted to make a tasty, nourishing dinner.

What we had:

Pan-fried eggplant slices with some 

dried oregano and a little extra virgin olive oil 

(remember to salt before cooking).

Fresh basil pesto, made in a blender with cashews, 

more extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.

Fresh tomato mix, basil, minced garlic, 

extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.

Rocket salad, with pear, parmesan, 

and balsamic olive oil dressing.

Pane di casa, rubbed with garlic,

sprayed with oil, and toasted. 

Extra:

Shop-bought beetroot dip,

Parmesan cheese

Some notes:

I prefer not to add parmesan when I make my pesto. For me, it is lush enough without it in the cooking (though you can see we didn't hold back with it as a finishing touch..). For the tomato mix, I have had it with red onion, but it doesn't really work for my tastebuds. For that sort of a mix, I would sub out the basil for coriander, and the olive oil for lemon juice (to make it a bit more Mexican). That is just me, and the best thing about this is the fool-proof experimentation, and enjoyment.