TasteFood

Roasted Fig Crostini

 

Oh, how I want to love figs. I am attracted to their shape and color, perfectly plump little bulbs, striated in violets and yellows, or hued in light green and dark purple. Soft and sensual to the touch and mildly aromatic, perhaps it's their mildness that confounds me. Faintly sweet, yet nutty and vegetal, I find the fig elusive in flavor, its softness shrouding it like a mysterious woman in a cloak. I know there is more to the fig, and I want to discover it. I want to love it. 

So, I found a ploy, or really a method, to reveal its secrets. By roasting figs in the oven, their taste and texture take on a whole new dimension. The fruit is coaxed from its shroud of vagueness, its natural sugars oozing and caramelizing, while its plumpness is reduced to a crispy intensity that bursts with flavor. There is no coyness or ambiguity with a roasted fig. It's sweetness and articulated flavor is a perfect match with other ingredients, such as goat cheese and basil. Try it, you'll like it. In fact, you will love it.


  

Roasted Fig Crostini

makes 8

Extra-virgin olive oil
4 figs, sliced lengthwise, 1/4" thick
8 slices of baguette, cut on the diagonal, 1/2" thick
6 ounces soft mild goat cheese
Runny honey
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
8 whole basil leaves

Preheat oven to 400 F. (200 C.)
Lightly oil baking tray. Arrange fig slices in one layer. Lightly brush tops with olive oil. Bake in oven until bubbly and beginning to caramelize, about 20 minutes. While figs are roasting, brush baguette slices with olive oil. Arrange on another baking tray in one layer. Bake in same oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes. To assemble crostini, spread baguette slices with goat cheese. Arrange 1-2 figs over cheese in one layer. Lightly drizzle with honey. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with a basil leaf. Serve immediately.
 

If you like this, you might enjoy these recipes from TasteFood:

 Asparagus with Crispy Prosciutto and Tarragon Aioli

Prosciutto Fig Arugula Roll-Ups with Honey

  

Figs and Greens with Blue Cheese, Walnuts and Honey Vinaigrette

  
and these fig recipes from the foodblogs:
Fresh Fig Sorbet from Ms. Adventures in Italy 
Fig Brie Grape Pizza from White on Rice Couple
Skinny Figgy Bars from Fat-Free Vegan Kitchen
Fig Cookies from Andrea Meyers

Summer Comfort Food: Nectarine, Blueberry and Raspberry Crisp

  

I confess to being a glutton when it comes to stone fruit. There is a window of time when peaches, apricots, nectarines and plums run rampant at the market. Vibrantly hued and mottled in purples, oranges, fuscias and crimson, their flesh is a perfect balance of sweet, tangy, winey, and tart.  I could eat them all day long, but then my stomach would hurt.  At this time when these gifts are abundant, I tend to overshop. My kitchen counters are lined with bowls and baskets brimming with fruit.  So, it's no surprise that even in our home, all of this fruit cannot be eaten at their peak of ripeness.  Some start to get a little too ripe, buried at the bottom of the bowl, or even passed over for the newest batch from the market.  As I said, I have indulgence issues.

This is the moment when a crumble or crisp comes in handy.  It's desserts' equivalent to a homey vegetable soup.  Gather up all the ripe, somewhat passed fruit (as you might with vegetables for a soup), cut and chop and pile them in a baking dish.  Garnish with berries and pile on the topping.  The tartness of the berries balances the sweetness of the stone fruit, and with little added sugar the result is a rich, murky, sweet - but not cloying, perfumed stew of summer fruit. It's best served warm, but not piping hot, since that will mask the flavor of the fruit. A dollop of high quality vanilla ice cream or whipped cream adds a cool foil to the warm, more-ish fruit. 
 

Nectarine, Blueberry and Raspberry Crisp

You can use any stone fruit for the crisp. Try a combination of plums, peaches and nectarines. The addition of raspberries and blueberries adds tartness and depth to the fruity flavor.
 
Serves 8

For the topping:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut in small cubes

For the fruit:
2 pounds nectarines (or combination of nectarines, plums, peaches), halved and pitted, cut in 1" chunks
1 cup raspberries
1 cup blueberries
2 tablespoons sugar

Prepare topping:
Combine dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.  Mix well to combine.  Add butter, and work in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. (Topping may be prepared one day in advance.  Cover and refrigerate until use.)

Prepare crisp: 
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Arrange nectarines in rectangular baking dish.  Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar.  Arrange raspberries and blueberries over nectarines.  Cover fruit evenly with topping. Bake in oven until topping is golden brown and fruit is bubbling, 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool briefly.  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

If you like this, you might enjoy these fruity recipes from TasteFood:

 Blueberry Crostata

Strawberry Napoleon

Grilled Nectarines and Apricots with Yogurt, Honey and Thyme

And more fruit recipes from other foodblogs:
Homemade Peace Ice Cream from Wasabimon
Plum Galette from Simply Recipes
Nectarine and Hazelnut Scones from Cookin' Canuck
Apricot and Almond Jam from Chocolate and Zucchini

Grilled Ratatouille Salad

{updated from the TasteFood archives}
  
Grilled Salad?  You bet. This version of Ratatouille is perfect in the summer when the season is lobbing a kaleidescope of Provençal vegetables our way. Instead of simmering eggplant, squash, onions and peppers with tomatoes on the stove in the traditional Niçoise fashion, try grilling all of them on the barbeque.  Bright, colorful, and pleasantly charred, Grilled Ratatouille Salad is a healthy, summery side dish or salad.  Serve as an accompaniment to grilled meats and fish or as a smoky, crunchy stand-alone salad with crusty pain paysan. Alternatively, head further south in the Mediterranean for inspiration and add feta cheese and kalamata olives for a twist on Greek salad.

 

Grilled Ratatouille Salad
Serves 6 as a side dish

2-3 bamboo skewers

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
1 large, firm eggplant/aubergine, cut horizontally in 1/2" thick slices
2 large red onions, cut horizontally in 1/2" thick slices
2 thin zucchini/courgettes, halved lengthwise
2 thin yellow squash, halved lengthwise
2 red peppers, halved, seeded, stems removed
1 poblano pepper, halved, seeded, stem removed
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves minced
1 small bunch Italian parsley leaves, stems removed, chopped
1 small bunch basil leaves, ripped in half 

Soak skewers 30 minutes before grilling.  Preheat grill or oven. Thread tomatoes on skewers.  Arrange all the vegetables and tomato skewers on a large baking sheet.  Lightly drizzle with olive oil, and toss to coat thoroughly.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Grill vegetables on barbeque until nicely browned and just cooked through. (Or grill in one layer in oven, turning once.) Transfer to platter; allow vegetables to cool slightly. Remove tomatoes from skewers and place in large bowl. Cut eggplant, onions, zucchini, squash and peppers in 1" pieces. Add to bowl with tomatoes.  Toss vegetables with 2-3 tablespoons olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, parsley, basil. Serve warm or at room temperature, garnished with extra parsley and basil leaves.

If you like this, you might enjoy these recipes from TasteFood:

Fried Zucchini Flowers with Three Cheeses

Grilled Eggplant and Heirloom Tomato Sandwiches with Basil and Tomato Coulis

Provençal Vegetable Tian with Goat Cheese and Basil Coulis

or these delicious ratatouille recipes from the foodblogs: 

Italian Sausages with Ratatouille from Simply Recipes
Stacked Ratatouille from A Veggie Venture
Ratatouille on Broiled Polenta with Baby Greens from Gluten-Free Goddess
Ratatouille Crepes with Goat Cheese from Yum Sugar

 

Red Berry Soup with Cream (revisited)

Once again I arrive in Denmark with a terrible cold. Nearly a year ago to this day I arrived and wrote this post while recovering from a flu. It seems appropriate to reprint this - especially since this recipe for Red Berry Soup is the best antidote I can think of for a sore throat - and perfect summer fare for the record breaking heat wave we are experiencing in Europe.

A few reasons why I like Denmark:

1.  I arrive in Copenhagen with a terrific sore throat and low grade fever.  My 83 year-old father-in-law sizes up my condition and states that a shot of Gammel Dansk (schnapps) will cure me.

2.  Shortly thereafter, I speak on the phone with my sister-in-law who happens to be a surgeon in a nearby hospital.  She hears that I am under the weather, and tells me that there are studies that support drinking red wine or rum or Irish coffee in reasonable amounts (her words) to offset a virus.

3.  I go to the doctor-on-call to have a strep test, and he takes a swab, acknowledges there is definitely something going on in the back of my throat, and says that in Denmark they do these tests only to decide whether it is absolutely critical to take an antibiotic to cure an ailment.  Result:  I have a virus, therefore no antibiotics.  (I personally support this philosophy.)  He then suggests rest and prescribes red wine with dinner.

4.  I return to my father-in-law's house, and my 10 year-old daughter is helping him make dinner, cleaning potatoes, while he fries homemade frikadeller (meat patties) which are his singular specialty in the food-making department to serve us, his special guests, for dinner.  She then tells me she would like to pick all the ripe gooseberries, raspberries, black currants and wild strawberries in his rambling garden and make Rød Grød med Fløde or Danish Red Berry Soup for our dessert.  She adds that the berries will help to heal my cold, because that is how things work.  I agree with this, too.  

 

Danish Red Berry Soup with Cream - Rød Grød med Fløde

Serves 4-6

2 1/2 pounds mixed summer berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, red and black currants)

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Whipped cream or crème fraîche
 

Combine berries and sugar in a heavy large saucepan.  Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves and berries release their juices, about 15 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Stir in lemon juice. Cool and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours before serving.  Serve with whipped cream or crème fraîche.  

Note:    

Any combination of berries may be used.  Depending on the combination and acidity of the berries, additional sugar may need to be added.

Try to include black currants, if you can, as their firm texture and astringency add extra complexity to the sweet soup.

 

Heirloom Tomato Tartare with Balsamic Syrup

   

Presentation does make a difference - not only in terms of visual appeal, but also in taste. Heirloom Tomato Tartare takes the ingredients of a simple tomato and basil salad, and, with some dicing and stacking, results in a colorful and refined appetizer. Heirloom tomatoes of various colors are diced and combined with finely chopped kalamata olives and shallots. The confetti of tiny morsels allows for satisfying mouthfuls bursting with sweet tomato, briny olive and sharp shallot. Try it - you'll like it. 

 

In this recipe I have topped the tartare with a spoonful of creamy burrata and basil.  If you don't want to splurge on burrata, try a small wedge of buffalo mozzarella.  Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and serve with Balsamic Syrup. While the ingredients are the same as you will find in a Caprese Salad, the presentation is refreshingly different.

 

Heirloom Tomato Tartare with Balsamic Syrup
Serves 6

6 medium-large heirloom tomatoes, ripe but firm (choose different tomatoes for color variation)
10 Kalamata olives, pitted, diced
1 medium shallot, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Extra-virgin olive oil
1 buffalo mozzarella or burrata
Fresh basil leaves

Balsamic Syrup (see below)

Prepare tartare:
Cut tomatoes in half.  Remove and discard seeds, juice and ribs if mealy.  Cut in 1/4" dice.  Combine diced tomatoes, olives and shallot in a large bowl.  Add salt and pepper. 
Arrange 1/2 cup of tomatoes in a stacked circle in center of a serving plate. Cut mozzarella in half and divide each half into 3 wedges.  Gently place wedge on top of tomatoes. If using burrata, carefully pull apart a small portion of the cheese, without too much liquid, and arrange on top of tomatoes.  
Drizzle tomatoes and cheese with olive oil. Garnish with a basil leaf.  Serve with balsamic syrup either drizzled on the plate around the tomatoes, or in a small cup to the side.

 
Balsamic Syrup:
 
Bring one cup every-day quality balsamic syrup to a boil (don't use the fancy one).  Simmer, uncovered, until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. 


If you like this recipe, you might enjoy these recipes from TasteFood:
Crostini with Honey Roasted Figs, Mozzarella and Prosciutto Crisps
Crostini Caprese - Crostini with Tomato, Mozzarella, Basil
Grilled Feta with Blood Orange, Red Pepper and Mint Salsa 

or these recipes with tomatoes from the foodblogs:
Heirloom Tomato and Quinoa Galette from Canelle et Vanille
Heirloom Tomato Sauce from Hedonia
Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho from House of Annie

 

   

Elderflower Syrup

 
We are spoiled with nature in Northern California, but one thing missing in our garden landscape is elderflowers. Elderberry bushes are prolific in North America and Europe, growing in gardens and the wild. The ripe berries are often used to make wine and marmalade. But, in my opinion, the best part are the flowers which peak in the early summer weeks. The blossoms can be harvested and left to macerate with sugar and lemon for several days to make a syrup which imparts a soft floral and honeyed flavor to drinks and desserts. Dilute a few spoons of the syrup with water for a soft drink, or with champagne or wine for a cordial. The flowers may also be dipped in a light batter and fried, serving as a light dessert. 

When we lived in Denmark, elderberry bushes were everywhere. They grew in our garden and along the paths we walked into town. In June, after a welcome warm spell, we picked baskets of elderflowers and made the concentrated syrup that we would enjoy throughout the season. So, naturally, when we return to Denmark on visits, if the timing is right we continue the tradition of making elderflower syrup. 
 

Elderflower Syrup
Makes 2 quarts  

40 elderflower sprigs
4 untreated lemons with skin, cut in slices
4 pounds granulated sugar
3 ounces food grade citric acid 
2 quarts boiling water

Thoroughly rinse the elderflower sprigs. Place in a large pot with a lid. Add lemon slices. Add sugar and citric acid. Pour water over elderflowers. Stir to ensure the sugar dissolves. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 4-5 days. Strain syrup through a fine meshed sieve or cheese cloth. Pour into sterilized bottles. Refrigerate until use. (Syrup may also be frozen in ice cube trays.)

To serve, mix a small amount of syrup with water, white wine or champagne to taste. 
 

If you like this, you might enjoy these other recipes from TasteFood:

Grilled Nectarines and Apricots with Yogurt, Honey and Thyme

Crème Brûlée

Double Affogato

Red White and Blueberries: Strawberry and Blueberry Shortcakes

A celebration of summer and independence are two good reasons to throw a party, and the fourth of July is perfectly timed to take advantage of the season's fresh berries. Fireworks and barbecues are de rigueur as skies and grills light up across America. With a nod to the colors of the American flag, this traditional dessert is fresh and festive, making use of an abundance of summer berries while stirring up nostalgic memories of easy summer living.
 

Strawberry and Blueberry Shortcakes
Serves 6

For the biscuits:
2 cups all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons sugar, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chilled, unsalted butter, cut in small pieces
1 cup buttermilk

For the berries:
1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved
12 ounces blueberries
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest

For the whipped cream:
1 cup whipping cream
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Prepare the biscuits:
Preheat oven to 400 F.  Sift the flour, 4 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. Mix in the butter with fingertips until dough resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk and stir until sticky dough forms. Drop dough in mounds on ungreased baking sheet.  Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Cool 15 minutes.

Prepare the fruit:
While the biscuits bake, combine strawberries, blueberries, sugar, mint, lemon juice and zest in a bowl. Toss to coat. Let stand 30 minutes (can be prepared 2 hours ahead.)

For the whipped cream:
Beat cream in a bowl of electric mixer until traces of the beater appear. Add sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until soft peaks form, taking care not to overbeat. 
 
To assemble shortcakes, cut each biscuit in half and arrange bottom half on individual serving plates. Spoon berries with juices over; top with whipped cream. Arrange biscuit top over cream. 

If you like this, you might enjoy these recipes from TasteFood:

 Strawberry Cream Parfaits with Black Pepper and Balsamic Syrup

Strawberry Rhubarb Soup

Chocolate Brownies

Strawberry Rhubarb Soup

Early strawberries and rhubarb are a gift of spring, reflecting the essence of season and simple, fresh food. My inspiration for this dessert comes from Denmark, which does not have the luxury of a California-style springtime. After a long, dark winter, spring is eagerly greeted in Scandinavia, but the early season can still be bleak. Strawberries are not yet seasonal, but hardy, dependable rhubarb is. The Danes gallantly make the most of what they have and, with characteristic minimalism, harvest the rhubarb and use it in simple preparations that herald the onset of the spring season in their Nordic kitchens. A traditional preparation is a simple, sweet soup. The astringent rhubarb is cooked in water with vanilla sugar and served with cream. As simple as it may sound, this dish is a celebration of season and a comforting favorite, pleasing adults and children alike.

Strawberry Rhubarb Soup is a similar compote consisting of the season's rhubarb and early strawberries we are luckily experiencing in Northern California. I do not add any water, because I like the soup thick and intensely flavored with the rhubarb and strawberries. Sugar is added to smooth the tartness and a touch of vanilla is added for extra depth.  Allow the soup to cool to room temperature and serve either with crème fraîche, lightly sweetened whipped cream or simply drizzled with heavy cream. 
 

Strawberry Rhubarb Soup
Serves 4-6 

1 1/2 lb. rhubarb, ends trimmed, cut in 1/2" slices
1 1/2 lb. strawberries, hulled, halved 
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heavy cream or crème fraîche for garnish

Combine rhubarb, strawberries and sugar in a large pot. Cover slightly. Cook over medium heat until rhubarb and strawberries give off their juices and rhubarb is very tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in vanilla. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Serve in bowls. Drizzle with heavy cream or garnish with a dollop of crème fraîche.

 

If you like this you might enjoy these other recipes from TasteFood:

Red Berry Soup with Cream

Strawberry Napoleon

Strawberry Cream Parfaits with Black Pepper and Balsamic Syrup

or these recipes with rhubarb from the Foodblogs:
Rhubarb Pie with Lattice Crust from Michael Ruhlman
Rhubarb Lime Spritzer from Food52
Mini Rhubarb Strawberry Galettes from Cooking with Amy
Rhubarb and Raspberry Yogurt Ice Pops from La Tartine Gourmande

 

Easy Late Summer Dinner: Tomato Tart

Early September brings beautiful tomatoes, their sunny colors cheerily keeping autumn at bay, reminding us that summer is not yet finished.  Sweet, juicy, sunkissed heirlooms, early girls, and cherries promise to bring a little sunshine to our dinner plates while the days grow shorter, cooler and crisper. 

This Tomato Tart is an easy, light dinner for a busy weekday night that takes advantage of the kaleidescope of cherry tomatoes falling in our gardens and showcased in the market. The tart's ease of preparation is, in part, due to the usage of store-bought frozen puff pastry dough.  I confess that as much as I try to homemake everything, homemade pastry (unless made well ahead of time and frozen) doesn't conveniently figure into a spontaneous week night meal.  Fortunately, high quality frozen pastry dough is available in many stores.  I buy mine at Whole Foods, and while the price is not cheap, I see it as a break-even when considering the cost of the ingredients and time I would need to make it myself.  However, if you do have time on your side (lucky you!) and would like to make your own pastry, one of my go-to recipes for quick puff pastry is from Rose Levy Beranbaum's Pie and Pastry Bible.   

Tomato Tart
Serves 4 as a light meal or 6-8 as a side dish

1 sheet (11 oz./300 g.) frozen puff-pastry dough, thawed

1 1/2 lbs. (750 g.) cherry tomatoes, multi-colored if possible, halved lengthwise
1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon fresh marjoram

Prepare tart:
Preheat oven to 400 F. (200 C.)

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4" thickness.  Pierce dough all over with a fork, leaving a 1" border in tact.  Transfer dough to a parchment-lined baking tray and refrigerate 15 minutes.
Bake in oven until lightly golden, 12-15 minutes.  Remove from oven, but do not turn off heat.

Arrange tomato halves, cut-side up, on crust, leaving the 1" border clear. Drizzle tart with olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Return to oven and bake 15-20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.  Remove tart from oven, and transfer to serving platter.  Garnish with fresh marjoram (or basil) and serve immediately. 

For a complete rustic meal serve with a wedge of soft, runny Camembert or Saint Nectaire cheese, thick slices of pain paysan and a salad of mixed seasonal greens. 

What to Drink? 
A medium-bodied red wine such as Côtes du Rhône, Pinot Noir or Syrah/Shiraz

If you like this tomato recipe, you might also like:

Heirloom Tomato Tartare









Salad of Heirloom Tomatoes, Red Onion, Chard Leaves and Basil

Here are a few more quick and easy tomato recipes from the foodblogs:

Grilled Tomatoes from Simply Recipes
Heirloom Tomato Salad from Food Mayhem
Spaghetti with Arugula and Cherry Tomatoes from La Tartine Gourmande

 

Sweet Pepper Bruschetta with Mozzarella

Call it impulse shopping: I couldn't resist the peppers at the Farmer's Market.  It was my Thursday morning run to the market, nice and early to beat the crowd and avoid the scorching summer sun.  I was on an efficient mission to purchase ingredients needed only for dinner and not to spend too much money (my history is dismal in both areas.)  I breezed through quickly, authoritatively and with discipline, a few simple sacks of greens for a dinner salad lightly gracing my arm.  I was nearly finished, my wallet still in tact.  And then I saw the pepper table.  Sandwiched between the Asian vegetable ladies and the artisan goat cheese vendor, the pepper table stood out like a psychadelic altar to the produce gods.  Stacks and stacks of peppers were on display in a confetti of colors. Gnarly sweet red gypsies, smoky green poblanos, shiny purple bells, lantern-shaped habaneros, perky plump red cherries. It was a pepper smörgasbord.  I took some pictures, and then I filled my one remaining bag  with all kinds of peppers: Anneheim, Fresno, Hungarian, jalapeno, serrano. When the bag was full, I sheepishly asked for another, discarding any previously displayed discipline. I had no idea what I would use the peppers for - I wasn't thinking; I just had to have them.  Luckily, this wasn't a shoe store.

So, several days later, after putting the peppers to satisfying decorative use in a bowl on my old Provençal farmer's table, it's time to eat them.  I think I will simply sauté them, because I've become attached to the aesthetic qualities of my peppers, and I think this will help retain their vibrant color and structure the best.  For an easy dinner tonight, I will make bruschetta topped with the sautéed peppers and melted cheese.  If I have any peppers left over, they can be used tomorrow in a pasta salad, a vegetable tian or as a pizza topping. 

Sweet Pepper Bruschetta with Mozzarella
Serves 4 as a starter, 2 as a main course

For the bruschetta:
4 - 1/2" thick slices of peasant or sourdough bread
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

For the peppers:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 lbs. (800 grams) mixed summer peppers, stemmed, seeded, large peppers cut lengthwise in strips, small peppers sliced horizontally in rings
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 buffalo mozzarella cheese, cut in 4 slices
4 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Garnish:
Extra-virgin olive oil
Fresh basil leaves

Make the bruschetta:
Grill the bread on both sides on a griddle pan or in an oven until toasted golden. Smash each garlic clove with the side of a large kitchen knife.  When the bread is grilled, brush each slice with olive oil and rub the smashed garlic over the bread slices. Place on baking sheet.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic, and sauté until fragrant, about 15 seconds.
Add peppers and sauté until tender but not too limp, about 10 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
Spoon peppers over bread slices.  Shred one mozzarella slice over each bruschetta. Sprinkle one tablespoon Parmigiano-Reggiano over bruschetta.
Grill in oven until cheese begins to melt, about 1 minute.
Remove from oven and arrange on serving plates. Drizzle lightly with olive oil.  Garnish with basil leaves.

You might like these other recipes with peppers from TasteFood:

  
Linguine with Broccolini, Prosciutto and Red Pepper








Grilled Ratatouille Salad




Black Bean, Corn and Red Pepper Salsa

Or try these recipes with peppers from other food blogs:
  Southwestern Stuffed Peppers from Kalyn's Kitchen
  Sweet Red Pepper Jelly from Andrea's Recipes
  Mediterranean Pepper Salad from Smitten Kitchen