Yes – you have heard me correctly. On the day singularly devoted to all things indulgent and chocolate, my husband asked for homemade pesto. Something has gone very wrong somewhere over the course of his 27 Valentine’s Days. But as he’s my husband, and I love him passionately, pesto he got!
Actually, if you want to get really specific, my husband asked for homemade Bruschetta. I learned to make it from a lovely lady from my church back home in AL who loved to entertain and made it often as an appetizer. My husband has never been a tomato eater, but when he first tasted her Bruschetta, he wept aloud and declared his undying devotion to them. The process of making the Bruschetta can be a labor of love, but trust me: it’s worth it. You will never, I repeat, NEVER serve chips and salsa again, when such an appetizer is in your repertoire.
Homemade Bruschetta
1 baguette of French bread, cut into 1 inch, diagonal slices. (I like to use the multi-grain variety. It adds an extra layer of interest and health!)
4-5 Roma tomatoes, sliced thinly
1 8 oz block of Mozzarella Cheese, sliced thinly to fit the baguette slices
1 bunch of each: basil, cilantro and parsley (equal parts of each)
5 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts (or any nut for that matter…except peanuts.)
Olive Oil
Salt to taste
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling each piece of bruschetta.
For the Pesto: Combine equal parts of the basil, cilantro and parsley in a food processor and finely chop. Add garlic, nuts and Parmesan cheese and process until finely chopped. With the processor running, begin drizzling olive oil into the mixture until emulsified and creamy. Add course salt to taste and pulse a few times to blend.
Assembling the Bruschetta: Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet or stone, side by side. Spread each slice with a little pesto and then a slice of Mozzarella. Top each slice of cheese with a slice of tomato and then a sprinkling of Parmesan. Place under the broiler of your oven until cheese is melted. Serve warm!
Now, you should know that I was not given specific measurements when I was taught to make this. Pesto should be made by “feel” if you ask me, but since I am publishing the recipe, I figured I’d include the amount I think I use. You can adjust it however you want to! You can also adjust the pesto recipe to meet your specific needs. In the winter, when basil is hard to fine and very expensive, I use frozen chopped spinach that has been thawed, and drained well. It works beautifully and tastes delicious. But the basil is my favorite, by far. So try it if you can.
Want to know the rest of my Valentine’s Day menu? OK!! Following the appetizer above, we had grilled chicken and vegetables (because we’re poor), and profiteroles with ice cream and strawberry sauce (to feed my inner fat-kid). I know, I know – you wish you were my Valentine. My husband loved it all, and I have to say myself, it was a success.
