Summer Bruschetta

The Katydid song plays in the background as I gently pluck ripe tomatoes from their vines.  I surmise the damage the sun has reaped upon my tomato plants' delicate leaves and feel a pang of regret as I accept that summer is quickly passing and that it will be an entire year before I can grow tomatoes again.  This momentary melancholy soon fades as I catch a whiff of that lovely liquorice, sweet smell of basil.  My basil is booming, and my tomatoes are sweet and ripe.  What better way to celebrate than to make bruschetta? 

My recipe for bruschetta is simple, delicious, and satisfying.  It is the perfect accompaniment to a fine crusty bread.  I happen to have a rustic loaf of bread from Mia's Pizza.  We make it from dough scraps that have risen for a while, and the result is this lovely, crusty, sourdough bread.  We use it to make breadcrumbs, croutons, and garlic bread for catering events.  It is my favorite of the two types of breads that we make, and its rustic nature will go perfectly with my summer harvest.

Bruschetta is a simple dish.  Mine consists of fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic, balsamic glaze, olive oil, salt, and pepper.  To make, just chop your tomatoes (mine are small, so I cut in half only), chop the basil chiffonade style, press 1-2 cloves garlic in a garlic press (or mince finely), drizzle with balsamic glaze and olive oil (no more than 2 tablespoons each), and add salt and pepper to taste.  I mix the ingredients lightly with a spoon and serve in a bowl.  On the side, I include toasted bread which I have drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper.  Roasted garlic also makes a great accompaniment, which is easy to make.  Cut the tops off the whole garlic head and place in a baking dish.  Drizzle the tops with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and throw a few sprigs of thyme on top.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 500 degrees for about 30 minutes.  Once finished, you will have delicious, sweet cloves of caramelized garlic that spread over bread like butter.

This summer bruschetta dish was such a lovely, light dinner for my family.  I also served some sauteed green beans on the side which were so delicious and easy.  Simply add a little olive oil to a pan, throw in the green beans and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Saute for a few minutes, and then remove from heat.  The result is a lovely, crunchy green bean side dish, perfect for all occasions.  This lovely dinner was my tribute to my summer harvest.  Simple and divine.  Enjoyed with my family.  Nourishing and sweet.

Pizza Play Date

I have never been the type of person who eagerly makes new friends.  I am someone who feels most comfortable with one or two very close friends, and I find it kind of hard to truly commit to the work it takes to add a new friend into my fold.  All that changed when I became a mom.  For the good of my child, I must make friends and plan play dates and be more social than I care to be, which I have found isn't so hard, and I like the connections I am making.  This summer, I have been particularly active on the play date set, and I have made a few good friends in the process.  When I host a play date at my house, I have a structured approach that allows lots of interaction for the kids, and also time for us moms to chat, drink coffee, and get to know each other.  My play dates involve lots of play outside, some type of craft, and lunch or snack.  

Recently I planned a pizza themed play date, and I thought it was particularly appropriate to write about it here.  A good friend from work brought her two-year old daughter, and the girls played in the kiddie pool out front while said coworker and I caught up on our summer adventures.  After a healthy amount of the outdoors, we brought the girls inside to make pita bread pizzas for lunch.  I have been making pita bread pizza since I was in college.  It is a go to meal that I almost always have the ingredients to make.  It was the perfect nosh when I was pregnant and breastfeeding because it had all the good things my body needed to nourish Mia and me.  Now I serve it to Mia on a regular basis, and the creation of it is something in which she can participate.

You begin with your favorite pita bread slice.  I use a whole wheat version simply because it's healthier.  Then you spoon out a desired amount of sauce (I use store bought spaghetti sauce).  Next pile on your toppings.  On this day we had red peppers, green olives, mushrooms, and chicken breast.  Finally, sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.  Bake on a cookie sheet in the oven (set at 350 degrees) until it is golden brown.  These also do very well in a toaster oven. 

While the pizzas baked, we had the girls create Paper Bag Pizzas.  These are so simple, and they allow the kids to explore different types of artistic media.  The supplies are basic:  several paper bags that you have cut into large triangular pizza shapes, lots of pizza toppings cut from paper scraps, various small pom poms, and glue (I also use a sponge brush for the kids to paint the glue on to the paper).  I prepared everything before the play date began so that it was ready to go, preventing too much down time.  Paper Bag Pizzas are an inexpensive and fun craft that the girls really enjoyed.

Having a child has done many things to enhance my life, and I think the play date has taught me that making new friends is actually a fun experience.  They also allow me to be creative with my child, which is always a plus.