SHARON’S BRUSCHETTA

SHARON’S BRUSCHETTA

Your guests will be talking about this one tomorrow! Now that’s Italian!

Makes 17 individual bruschetta hors d’oeuvres

Marinated Sun-Dried Tomatoes:

Soak 3 oz. sun-dried tomatoes in warm water for 2 hours. Drain well. Place in jar, cover with olive oil.  Add 5 or more peeled garlic cloves, thinly sliced.  Marinate over night.

Antipasto:

1 t. caraway seeds

1 t. water

dash salt

1 t. corn oil

2 t. raw sugar

2 t. Balsamic vinegar

¼ t. red cayenne pepper

½ t. celery seed

12 t. turmeric

½ t. ground cloves

2 t. sesame oil

3 T. corn oil

2 ripe, juicy Roma tomatoes, cored and chopped into ¼ inch cubes

½ sweet red roasted pepper, diced into ⅜ inch squares

3 T. finely diced yellow onion, ⅛ inch squares

2 fresh peeled garlic cloves, finely chopped

10 marinated sun-dried tomatoes, cut into ½ inch squares

2 T. lg. capers, drained

salt to taste

1 loaf French baguette, the narrow, softer type you get from the grocery store

Sharon’s Animal-Free Margarine

Place caraway seed, water and salt in a mortar and pestle. Smash with pestle till caraway breaks.

Add corn oil, sugar, vinegar, red cayenne pepper, celery seed, turmeric and cloves, one at a time, pulverizing it as best you can into the other ingredients. Transfer to marinating bowl.

Add remaining ingredients, one at a time, stirring after each addition. Salt to taste, then cover and marinate in refrigerator several hours, stirring occasionally.

To assemble:

Cut 17 slices French baguette, ½ inch thick, no thinner, use your ruler. Place on wire rack on large baking sheet.

Top each round with a heaping teaspoon of marinated antipasto. Press gently down into the bread to secure it, without poking a hole in it, as well as pushing some of the liquid down into the bread. Put it all around.

Top each round with a teaspoon of  Sharon’s Animal-Free Margarine.

Place under broiler till sides  and edges of bread are toasted and a very light film of light golden brown highlights some of the surfaces of the Animal-Free Margarine.

Remove immediately. Place on platter and serve at once. They won’t last long! Depending on the number of guests you’re serving, you might want to double or triple the recipe.

Notes: Surprisingly, this bruschetta tastes good with fresh, hot, black coffee. The stronger the coffee taste the better.

The antipasto isn’t that impressive when you first taste it in the bowl. The toasted baguette and A-F Margarine bring it all together in an explosive taste sensation. Melts in your mouth.

The A-F Margarine has a creme fraiche / creamy ricotta type texture that works perfectly here.

Also serve as a sit-down dinner appetizer.  Two on an escarole leaf with orange slice garnish per guest. Serve with knife and fork.

Any real Italian who eats this will say, “Now that’s Italian!” The ingredients need not be ‘Italian’ to taste Italian. The evolution of tastes is exciting.