Continuing with my recent obsession with bruschetta and bistro dinner experiences, our Date Night Dinner this weekend was a couple appetizer recipes that are standby faithfuls and that together comprised a meal. I was feeling a little under the weather and didn’t want anything too complicated to make and Laree wanted lighter fare so we decided to go with a Sun Dried Tomato, Basil and Feta bruschetta, and another with Shrimp, Tarragon and Arugula. Then, because I wanted something sweet to compliment the flavors and because peaches are in season in Alabama, we tagged on Roasted Peaches with a Balsamic Vinegar Reduction.

Quick & Simple

When I’m looking for a quick and simple appetizer for dinner, a bruschetta seems to be my go to option these days. Probably because this is like a favorite pair of jeans that you can dress up or dress down depending on the mood and what ingredients that I have on hand.

My Newest Recipe

I threw this together last night just on a whim and it turned out great. I love the flavors of sun-dried tomatoes, basil & feta cheese. I also did this same thing with Gorgonzola and it was equally as good.

1 baguette or loaf of French bread (depending on what size you want your bruschetta)
Olive Oil
Sun dried tomatoes (the kind in the jar in oil work great!)
Fresh Basil
Feta Cheese (I prefer the feta that comes in brine, but any will do)
Kosher Salt
Pepper (preferably fresh ground)

Directions

The directions for this boil down to putting the ingredients in a bowl, season to taste and then put on the baguette slices. But here’s my attempt at something that at least sounds a little more official…

Slice baguette diagonally into slices between 1/2″ – 1″ thick (this really depends on how you like it). Slice as many slices as you plan on eating. If I’m making a date night appetizer for 2, that usually means 8-10 slices.

Arrange baguette slices on a baking sheet and brush tops completely with olive oil. This creates a moisture barrier that keeps the juices of the bruschetta toppings from making the bread soggy.

Bake in a 400° oven until crispy, but not burned. If you’re in a hurry, you can broil the baguette slices, but you really need to keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.

While you’re waiting on the little toasts, you basically want to prep the bruschetta toppings by putting the sun-dried tomatoes, chopped basil and feta in a bowl and season to taste. I usually use about the same amounts (measured by mass, not weight) of each of the three, but this is where you want to eyeball it. For me that usually works out to 3-4 forkfuls of sun-dried tomatoes, about 1/2 of the basil that comes in one of those pre-packaged fresh herbs packets at the grocery store and 3-4 spoonfuls of feta for my 8-10 slices. Chop up the basil. If you’re using the sun-dried tomatoes in oil, there will probably be enough oil dripping off the tomatoes to moisten the mix. If not, drizzle a little olive oil in the bowl. Don’t forget the salt & pepper. Stir to mix and spoon on the baguette slices. Arrange in some cool pattern on an aesthetically pleasing serving dish and serve with wine. You’ll thank me.

The beautiful thing about this fast & easy recipe is that if you’re running short of topping for your slices, you can mix up more on the fly!