Grilled Bruschetta with Tomato, Mango, Mint and Basil

   

Do you ever have ideas about food, perhaps expectations of a certain dish and then the dish or the meal just doesn't quite live up to those dreams?  

 It happens to me all the time.  I'll want a certain something. It flits at the corners of my mind, but I can't quite capture it - that longing for a certain taste or a certain feeling.  

That's when I scour my cookbooks or Todd and I will have the same fruitless discussion about what to eat.  Sometimes we'll dive into a dish, shopping, prepping, cooking, and then comes the first bite. Right there, in the kitchen, a sound effect should play:  "Whaw-Whaw."  Sadly the work didn't pay off  and you are left with the same feeling of a craving that hasn't been met. 

Then there are times when I know exactly what I want, and even though I'd be willing to drive to get the ingredients, lo and behold they are all right there in the kitchen waiting for me.  It doesn't have to be anything high brow or complex, it can be a simple as a grilled cheese and tomato sandwich or that perfect bowl of ice cream with tons of ripe berries on top.  The other day it was bruschetta. 

It was one of the perfect warm Southern California evenings and I wanted something sweet and salty and crunchy.  We had just bought some perfect grape tomatoes at the farmers market and our basil and mint plants are thriving.  It all got put together with some fresh fruit and some great sourdough I grilled on the barby.  

Easy.  Itch scratched. 

 
Grilled Bruschetta with Tomato, Mango, Mint and Basil.  

 

2 cups grape tomatoes - halved
1 mango - diced
1 peach - diced
1/2 white onion - diced
1/4 cup each of basil and mint - minced.  
salt and pepper to taste
drizzle of olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
squeeze of lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
8-10 slices hearty sourdough bread
olive oil with a little salt and pepper to brush on the bread.

Mix all the ingredients together in a non-metallic bowl.  Adjust the seasonings according to your personal preference.  Cover and refrigerate for about an hour to let the flavors meld together.     

Heat the grill to high.  Brush the bread slices with the the seasoned olive oil.
Grill on high heat until you have nice brown grill marks on the bread.  Flip it over and repeat.

Serve the bread hot off the grill with the bruschetta topping. 

 

Comments

[Vanessa]

Okay, so my first thought was 'Where the Heck was this when I came over last night?'

My less self-centered, more mature thought is "That looks lovely! Perhaps I'll try it!

xoxo