A Sweet Spin; Strawberry Bruschetta

So my mom has this idea in her head that I only cook "gourmet" dishes. I assume she thinks this because whenever I talk about cooking it tends to be dishes I'm making for an event, something I put extra special time into. Because of this delusion belief, she will literally call me up and say "Hey off the top of your head do you know of a fancy dish I can make for forty-five people by tomorrow night, 1/3 of which are vegetarian, sprinkle in some vegans,bacon--lovers, & lactose intolerants all of which costs only $20?" I swear I feel like it's word-problems week in math class again. Which believe me, wasn't pretty.

The truth is, if you find me on a regular Monday night I'm probably boiling some whole wheat pasta or sauteing some awesome Trader Joe's frozen meal. I know, don't tell my mom. Her idealistic bubble will burst.
Her beliefs in my cooking style have actually started to shape my cooking style. She is like this nagging little voice in the back of my head that says, "Now Rachel, that ingredient sounds a bit plaaiin, doesn't it?" "Oh sweetie, Russet Potatoes are soo last century". It can be pretty hard on a delicate psyche.

The positive is that because of these neuroses I do tend to experiment with cooking. My aunt always boasts that I'm "never afraid to try anything" (this isn't always applied in a complimentary way lol) which when it comes to food is pretty true. You will not find me sky-diving or spider touching, I keep my adventures to one department
 When I saw this recipe for Strawberry Bruschetta I knew I had to try it.  Granted I did have an inkling it would be delicious, based of my love of the Strawberry/Goat Cheese combination, but still it's a bit more exciting than regular bruschetta. I do love that too though.
This stuff is like melt in your mouth, catch a glimpse of God on it's way down good. At least to me.
Roasting the strawberries in the balsamic vinegar somehow manages to bring out their sweetness, & softens the tartness of the vinegar.
Next time I will add more goat cheese, forget the garlic salt (I added it to the bread before broiling--my bad) & maybe add a wee bit o'sugar to the strawberry mixture. It was pretty sweet naturally, but the dang bf's sweet tooth has been rubbing off on me lately!


Roasted Strawberry Bruschetta
Modified from Puccini and Pinetti Ingredients
2 cups strawberries, hulled
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 loaf ciabatta bread
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil                            
1 cup soft goat cheese
1 cup baby arugula
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Slice the strawberries into a bowl and gently mix to coat with the balsamic vinegar. Spread strawberries out on a baking sheet and bake for five minutes. Remove and let cool.
  3. Cut the ciabatta into equal slices, coat with olive oil, and broil on each side until toasted and crisp.
  4. Spread goat cheese on hot bread, top equally with the roasted berries and juice. Set a few pieces of arugula on each. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy!
Seriously, yum. Thank you yumsugar!

8 comments:

Caroline | May 24, 2010 at 11:40 AM

Blue cheese and Strawberries are the perfect DUO. I love strawberry spinach and goat cheese salads. Sending you a hug! xo

Anonymous | May 24, 2010 at 2:26 PM

Sounds delicious:)

Unknown | May 24, 2010 at 2:32 PM

That is exactly what I do! I'll make something really special for dinner and tell my mom about it simply because it's special, and then she gets the idea that I actually cook for my husband! LOL! That bruschetta looks fab!

Anonymous | May 24, 2010 at 4:41 PM

my mouth is watering.! .this is the perfect, new, adventurously impressive yet super simple, hello-summer dish for me to bring to this weekend's bbqs - thanks for sharing :)

Gorgeous Glam | May 25, 2010 at 12:01 PM

Wow that sounds like something I need to make this weekend! Thanks for sharing doll! xoxo

Laura Loo | May 26, 2010 at 10:59 PM

Um YUM!! sounds interesting, I wouldn't have ever thought of it. But I love goat cheese and strawberries on their own, so why not together!!

Jessica | May 27, 2010 at 5:08 PM

this sounds AMAZING!!!!

Haleigh | May 28, 2010 at 11:44 AM

whatttttttttttttttttttt, this sounds insanely delicious!

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