Los Angeles, Ca – Working as a nanny for a wonderful family in LA inspired me to create this bruschetta recipe. I concocted this recipe when the family asked me to cook up a quick tasty appetizer for their guests – at a moment’s notice. Quick, and delicious, this bruschetta is sure to please.
Directions:
Baguette: Slice baguette on a bias. Keep the slices thin, but not so thin that the bruschetta bleeds through. (If you want to save time, you can begin cooking your baguette while prepping the topping. Spread out the baguette slices on a sheet pan, coat them with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and toast the slices in a 350 F oven for about 12 minutes, until they become golden brown and crunchy crostini.
Topping De-seed the tomatoes, dice them into small pieces, add them into a large mixing bowl with plenty of room for mixing (so that your tomatoes don’t get everywhere!).
Chop up artichokes, add balsamic vinegar and oil to mixture (add the liquids first to marinate with the tomatoes and artichokes). When you are done with this step, wipe down your cutting board before moving on.
Chiffonade the basil leaves (lie the leaves tip to tip, and end to end. Roll them up, and use a sharp knife to make thin slices, working your way down the rolled up basil).
Mince the garlic, and add garlic and basil to the mixing bowl.
Mix the compote together, and season with salt and pepper.
Put a spoonful of topping on the crostini, and pack it really tightly so that it will not fall off. Top it off with blue cheese crumbles. If you have any leftover basil leaves, take the small leaves from the top of the plant, and use them as a garnish.
Another option is to leave the topping in a bowl, and use it as a dipping sauce.
Tip – Tomatoes should always be outside of the refrigerator, but not in direct sunlight.
