Maria Nasir
Bruschetta is a centuries old Italian appetizer. It is a very simple dish that starts with grilled country bread and then it’s rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil. It is traditionally topped with chopped tomatoes but actually the choices for toppings are as infinite as your imagination. You can use chunky salsa salad, pickled olives and cucumbers, cold cuts of meat and cheeses…and the list goes on. My husband loves to have Bruschetta for dinner on week nights instead of a full- fledged meal.
Here I have tried bruschetta two ways; one is the traditional tomato salsa with mozzarella and the second is summer fruit with feta. As I said, your kitchen is your canvas…go for it !
1- Tomato Salsa with Mozzarella
4 thick grilled slices of country bread
Extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 ripe tomatoes (finely chopped)
1/2 cup marrow or cucumber,diced
A handful coriander leaves, chopped
7-8 pickled olives, chopped
2 green chilli peppers, deseeded and chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and paprika for seasoning
Dried oregano
1/2 cup mozzarella
This Is What You Do:
Mix all the chopped vegetables and herbs in a bowl. Add vinegar, lemon juice and seasoning, toss well.Preheat the grill (skillet or tawa). Brush one side of bread with olive oil and place on the grill rack, oiled side up. Toast both sides until golden. While the bread is still hot , rub the oiled side with garlic cloves. Sprinkle a little cheese on the slice, top it with tomatoes salsa and dried Italian herbs or oregano. Drizzle with a little more olive oil.
2- Summer Fruits with Feta :
1 mango, peeled and diced
2 plums,peeled and diced
1 peach, peeled and diced
10-12 cherries, stones removed
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 cup feta cheese
This Is What You Do :
Grill the bread same as mentioned above. Mix all the diced fruits, honey, lemon juice and cinnamon in a bowl. Season with paprika. Place heaped spoons of fruit salsa on the slices. Top with feta cheese and garnish with whole cherries.
It makes lovely finger food for parties. Fresh home- made wheat bread adds to the charm of bruschetta (you can get the recipe for easy home-made wheat -bread on our site at
Just omit the figs and pistachios for the tomato salsa bruschetta ).