A favorite meal in our house traces roots back to a distant summer vacation in Tuscany.  In Italy small bites consisting of toasted bread, spread or piled with all kinds of delicious morsels, are classics at the dinner table, as an appetizer or lunch item — and with good reason.  Who doesn’t love a sandwich?  That’s essentially what Bruschetta and Crostini are — albeit beautiful, open-faced masterpieces that bear little resemblance to American white bread-encased PB&Js or grilled cheese. Any number of toppings work magic on the artisan bread-based Italian cousin — use your creativity and kitchen stock to guide.  Roasted veggies; greens sautéed with garlic-laced, creamy white beans; cheese topped with olive tapenade; even a simple green salad, loosely piled — almost anything tastes fabulous on a slice of good bread. And if you’re in need of a pantry or fridge clean out, there’s no better vehicle.

For dinner we choose 4 or 5 toppings.  Usually one or more have origins (partially or completely) in a package or jar (from the pantry or freezer shelf) — pesto, hummus, olive tapenade, roasted peppers, cheese, or chutney — while another might involve last night’s leftovers.  Depending on our collective energy level and what’s languishing in the fridge, we’ll make two or three fresh toppings to round out the meal.

The season dictates the theme.  In summer we sauté young zucchini and dress with lemon.  Sweet tomatoes are chopped with garlic, salty olives and fresh basil.  If stone fruit like peaches are in season we slice and layer on top of creamy fresh ricotta with chopped herbs (mint, basil or such).  Grilled sweet peppers are another summer favorite.  We peel the skins off and chop the velvety insides.  In winter we move to the warmth of the oven and stovetop, roasting the roots and vegetables of the season and sautéing greens — often with earthy beans.  Citrus like orange and lemon adds zing and sweetness.

Many of the items we pile could easily be enjoyed without the crisp platform underneath.  For the gluten-intolerant or low-carb guest this works fine, but for the rest of us there’s something sublime about piling a crunchy slice until it overflows, and bringing food to mouth without utensils — dripping and oozing goodness onto a plate placed strategically below.  Here’s a chance to eat with our hands and bask in that messy, uncomplicated pleasure. Somehow, food eaten this way tastes better.  Too bad there’s no Tuscan sunset to complete the perfect moment.

Basic Bruschetta or Crostini

The difference between the two is subtle — in my mind the former are crustier and more rustic, the latter feature delicate toppings on thin-sliced baguette.  What you call it matters not — just eat immediately, before the toast gets soggy.

•One or more crusty, artisan loaves

•Extra virgin olive oil

•A couple of cloves of garlic, unpeeled, cut in half

•Toppings of your choice

1.Cut bread into slices and either grill or toast on a baking sheet in the oven.  Rub with cut side of garlic (if desired) and drizzle with oil.

2.Top and eat immediately.

Topping Ideas:

Let’s start with the oven…

Cut fennel bulb and onion into similar sized cubes.  Toss with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.  Roast until tender at 400 ° F.  Roughly chop and add some fresh herbs if you have them, or chopped kalamata olives.  The licorice-tasting, raw fennel bulb mellows as an onion does, when treated to a turn in a hot oven.

Roast those leftover beets (you probably have one or two — they do keep for a while), slice and layer on bread.  Add crumbled blue cheese or goat cheese and the last bit of dill from last week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roast carrot cubes with onion (the usual routine) until ultra-tender.  Meanwhile toast some spices in a dry pan — cumin seeds, black mustard seeds and sesame seeds (a large pinch of each) until fragrant.  Mash with a mortar and pestle until coarsely ground.  Add to carrots, along with some lemon juice, chopped herbs and a drizzle of nice oil. Here are the details…

On to the stovetop…

Sauté spinach in olive oil and garlic with crushed red pepper.  Add canned garbanzo beans (rinsed first) and a splash of water.  Roughly mash the beans into the spinach or chop in a food processor.  Mix with some lemon juice and a bit of tahini, salt and pepper (check out these details).  For a smooth, quick version — whir the sautéed spinach with prepared hummus.  Or simply sauté spinach in olive oil with garlic and some white beans (or pine nuts and raisins) in the classic Italian way.  Perhaps a bit predictable, but you’ll never be disappointed.

If you made ricotta recently with last week’s recipe, here’s the perfect use — if not, make some today and spread it on toast with a drizzle of local honey and toasted walnuts on top. Or top with sautéed greens and skip the honey and nuts.

Here’s a white bean and greens combination that employs those healthy collards and works on top of toast or in a bowl with the bread on the side.

 

 

 

 

 

On the Side:

Sometimes bruschetta needs a side for balance (or sometimes not) and here’s a soup that’s a match in the comfort arena.  Leftovers make a hearty lunch.

Roasted Potato and Fennel Soup

 

 

 

 

 

If you have some lettuce left from last week, toss a big green salad, or use this week’s ultra-healthy spinach leaves.  Toss with some shaved fennel bulb, orange slices or perhaps some of those tasty roasted carrots (see recipe above and add them to the salad without mashing).  Dress with a simple vinaigrette.

Storage Tips:  Oranges and lemons can be stored on the counter for a few days.   For longer storage, place in the fridge.  Store onions in a cool, dark spot such as a pantry shelf or a protected nook on the kitchen counter. All other produce can be kept, loosely bagged, in the crisper drawer.

That knobby thing that looks like ginger root is actually the root of a perennial sunflower, called aJerusalem Artichoke or Sunchoke.  These tubers are starchy like a potato, while some find their flavor reminiscent of an artichoke (hence the name).  Sunchokes can be eaten raw in salads where they might remind you of a crisp water chestnut.   You’ll also enjoy them roasted, steamed, boiled or sautéed with olive oil or butter — just as you would a potato.   Try this recipe from blogger and nutritionist, Sarah Britton of My New Roots