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A Guide To Italian Bruschetta

from United States by GourmetFoodStore.com

Sometimes, a piece of toasted bread with some flavorful toppings is all you need to solve an appetizer, a quick lunch, or a partner in crime for your wine, beer, or cocktail. Enter bruschetta – pronounced broos-keh-t-tah please, not broo-sheh-tah - the easiest, breeziest Italian appetizer we ever did see. But first, let’s deconstruct this simple, rustic app and discover “what is bruschetta”.


Fresh and ripe tomatoes and high-quality ingredients are the secret to a great Italian bruschetta.


Bruschetta and crostini are almost always used interchangeably, and in all honesty, we can’t find a good reason why not. It all starts with a base of toasted, cracker-like bread, that can hold up to whatever seasonal produce or spread you decide to put on top. The idea is that the crusty bread is hearty enough but also thin so you can easily bite into it, think a simple hors d’ oeuvre size. The bread is  be toasted or grilled, and rubbed with garlic and premium extra virgin olive oil. And that’s the base for bruschetta.

Shop Extra Virgin Olive Oil


Now come the toppings, and here’s the real beauty of bruschetta. There are no rules – even if people often think you MUST have tomato on top of bruschetta, that’s not really how the Italians do it. Rather, use what’s in season, or what’s in your pantry. If you want to go the tomato bruschetta route, make sure you pick good quality, ripe tomatoes, in season. Making fresh tomato bruschetta in winter really makes no sense – there are so many other flavorful options to try! Leave tomato for summer. The real rule is use good quality ingredients. They will really shine over the plain and simple bread. Use peaches! Pears! Eggplant! Fresh herbs!


Bruschetta offers endless options and flavor combinations.


One of our favorite combos for bruschetta?

Prosciutto and fresh mozzarella topped with fresh basil and a drizzle of good balsamic. What about caramelized onions and brie? Or figs and Iberico? Goat cheese and pears? Go foraging in your produce drawer and go nuts (which are also a great topping, by the way!). Use fresh or dry herbs for topping – you can also keep our bruschetta spice blend handy, a carefully curated spice mix of garlic, black pepper and sea salt in the perfect proportions. Shop Bruschetta Mix



And there’s nothing wrong with having a few pantry bruschetta options available -like our line of Tealdi’s ready-to-serve Bruschetta spreads, made in Italy with the freshest ingredients in a variety of combinations. This helps you for last-minute get-togethers, or when you want to foolproof your appetizers. When experts have taken the guesswork and perfected the recipes for you, and you only need to open and serve, there’s something to be said for the marriage of flavor and practicality. Some of Tealdi’s options are Classic Bruschetta: made of tomato pulp, olive oil, salt and flavored with garlic and oregano so to give you the strong taste of high-quality raw materials at each bite. For a more luxurious twist, there’s the White Truffle a sumptuous blend of Italian tomatoes and aromatic Italian Alba truffles. There are many options available – check them all out here.



And there you have it! The basics of bruschetta, explained! Go shopping for bruschetta ingredients or give any of our bruschetta recipes a whirl.


Fresh Black Truffle Crostini Recipe
Fresh Black Truffle Crostini Recipe
An easy way to make a luxurious appetizer - toast some crusty French bread, slice and top with an aromatic mix of garlic, truffle oil and shaved fresh black truffles.
Country Pate with Apple Chutney Appetizer Toasts Recipe
Country Pate with Apple Chutney Appetizer Toasts Recipe
Our rustic country pate with black pepper finds the perfect match in a sweet apple chutney, for a canape recipe that's sophisticated and delicious.
Country Pate with Fig Jam Appetizers Recipe
Country Pate with Fig Jam Appetizers Recipe
Our rustic country pate with black pepper finds the perfect match in a sweet apple chutney, for a canape recipe that's sophisticated and delicious.
Crab and Gruyere Meltaway Appetizers Recipe
Crab and Gruyere Meltaway Appetizers Recipe
A sumptuous appetizer that couldn't be easier to make! Sweet crab meat is blended with mayo and seasoned to perfection, placed on freshly toasted brioche bread, then topped with gruyere and melted to au gratin goodness.
Cucumber and Smoked Salmon Appetizer Canapes Recipe
Cucumber and Smoked Salmon Appetizer Canapes Recipe
A fresh appetizer recipe that will cool you right down! Crunchy little cucumber slices act as vessels for the smoked salmon and Boursin cheese dip, and are a one-bite-wonder. Perfect to serve as an elegant hors d'oeuvre for a summer party, or perfectly dainty bridal shower starter.
This entry was posted in Appetizers, Cooking and Recipes, Featured Gourmet Ingredients and Gourmet Food Blog on February 26, 2021 by GourmetFoodStore.com

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