strawberry bruschetta

Last night I felt really good about the dinner that I provided for my family.

BBQ Pork Chops

Corn on the Cob

Roasted Summer Veggies

and

Strawberry Bruschetta

Mmmmmmmm........I was most excited about the bruschetta, although the Roasted Summer Veggies surprised me and I had two helpings of those.  They're veggies - that's allowed, right?

Now lunch today was a different story.

I've had the house to myself since about 10:00 this morning.

Ahhhhhhhh......yesssssssss.

Pure silence.

No one to tell me they are bored every 10 minutes.

However, that also meant there was no one to look at me like I was crazy

when I filled my lunch plate with.....wait for it.....

5 pieces of bread with leftover strawberry bruschetta

a handful of cheese cubes

a cosmic brownie (don't tell Elliott about that one)

and Dr. Pepper to drink

So I feel REALLY good about dinner last night.

Lunch today.....not so much.

But that's okay.

As soon as Brian gets home he is going to take me out to a nice

healthy dinner before the kiddos get home

(he just doesn't know it yet).

Anyway, back to the bruschetta.....

Yum. Yum. Yum.

This recipe came from a Southern Living issue featuring all kinds of strawberry recipes
(of which we tried almost all of during strawberry season in May).
I'm not a huge fan of tomatoes, but at the time I had just experienced awesome traditional
bruschetta at a friend's house and thought that if this turned out half as
yummy as hers, then it was worth getting past the tomatoes.

Turns out that I really couldn't taste the tomatoes in this at all.
I can tell they are there, but the flavors blend so well, that it doesn't taste
tomato-y (is that a word?  didn't think so).
But it does taste delicious.
You can even ask my husband,
who coincidentally also has an aversion to tomatoes.

So here's the recipe so you can try it for yourself
(or make it over to my fridge within the next few hours before we finish it off)

Strawberry Bruschetta

(original recipe source found here at Southern Living)

1 1/2 cups diced fresh strawberries

1 nectarine, diced

1 cup diced grape tomatoes

3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

1 shallot, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 French bread baguette (the thin, skinny type)

1 goat cheese log, softened (optional)

Stir together strawberries, nectarine, tomatoes, basil, shallot, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sugar, pepper and salt.

Slice the baguette into 1/2 inch slices.  Toast them in the oven for a few minutes, spread with goat cheese and top with the strawberry mixture.  Or spread the cheese on and then toast them.  We have also just sliced the bread and put the strawberry mixture right on top, without toasting or any cheese.  Enjoy.