Maple Roasted Pear Pizza with Pistachio Olive Oil, Caramelized Shallots, Crispy Prosciutto, + Crumbled Goat Cheese

Sweet + Salty is mah jam. I'm the weirdo that likes dipping french fries in a chocolate milkshake... adding salt to my lattes, pouring maple syrup on my bacon, and so on + so on. Last year, we went to our favorite pizza place, Hearth, and my dreams were made. Their pizza special that night was a pear pizza. What? PEAR ON A PIZZA.... that's genius! I knew then and there that I would have to recreate this masterpiece. I ending up changing most of the toppings to include my favorite ingredients, and you know what, I thought ours was even better. First, I started off by making a chunky pistachio olive oil by using a molcajete + pestle to pulverize the nuts into the oil. This serves as the base for your pizza. Next up is one of my go-to recipes as of lately... crispy prosciutto. If you don't have prosciutto on you though, you can always sub in some bacon... because... um, bacon is good on everything. It's also a personal belief that every single pizza should have caramelized onions, so I added lots of those too. Then there is the usual of fresh mozzarella and grated parmesan cheese, and for good measure, some tangy crumbled goat cheese (yum). The single most important ingredient has to be the bosc pear, which I shaved using a mandolin. Gently arrange the shaved pear on top of the pizza and brush a light coating of maple syrup over the fruit. The maple syrup not only sweetens the whole pie just a little bit, but helps the pears to beautifully caramelize in the oven. Lastly, you have to season the pizza with fresh thyme (an absolute must), crushed red pepper flake (for a slight kick), and a small sprinkle of kosher salt + fresh cracked pepper. After you have baked the pizza, all that there is left to do is to cut it into slices and devour it while it's still warm. We also loved putting some peppery baby arugula on top for garnish, but that step is completely up to you! I hope you love this ultimate autumn pizza as much as we do!! Enjoy :)

pre-baked pizza

this is what heaven looks like.

For the Pistachio Olive Oil:

1C Shelled Pistachios (can be unsalted or salted)

EVOO (enough to cover the pistachios)

For the Crispy Prosciutto:

6oz Shaved Prosciutto

4 Sprigs of Rosemary or 8 Leaves of Sage

EVOO, For Drizzling

Fresh Cracked Pepper, For Sprinkling

For the Maple Roasted Pear Pizza:

1 Batch of Homemade Extra Crispy Pizza Dough (made into two dough balls)

4 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

Prepared Pistachio Olive Oil

Caramelized Shallots

8oz Fresh Mozzarella, Shredded by Hand

Freshly Grated Parmesan

Prepared Crispy Prosciutto

1 Bosc Pear, Thinly Shaved Using a Mandolin

High Quality Maple Syrup, For Brushing

Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, To Taste

Minced Fresh Thyme, To Taste

Kosher Salt + Fresh Cracked Pepper, For Sprinkling

2oz Crumbled Goat Cheese

Fresh Baby Arugula, For Garnishing (optional)

Directions:

1. For the Extra-Crusting Pizza Dough: Whisk flour, salt, and yeast in a medium bowl. While stirring with a wooden spoon, gradually add 1.5 cups water; stir until well incorporated. Mix dough gently with your hands to bring it together and form into a rough ball. Transfer to a large clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise at room temperature in a draft-free area until surface is covered with tiny bubbles and dough has more than doubled in size, preferably 18 hours (but anywhere between 12-18 hours would work as well). Transfer dough to a floured work surface. Gently shape into a rough rectangle. Divide into 2 equal portions (depending on thin or thick you want your pizza dough). Working with 1 portion at a time, gather 4 corners to center to create 4 folds. Turn seam side down and mold gently into a ball. Dust dough with flour; set aside on work surface or a floured baking sheet. Repeat with remaining portions. Let the dough balls rest, covered with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel, until soft and pliable, about 1 hour.

2. Prepping the Dough: During the last hour of the dough’s resting, preheat the oven to its hottest setting, around 500-550 degrees, and arrange a rack in the middle of the oven. Working with the dough, dust it generously with flour and place onto a floured work surface. Gently shape the dough balls into a two 10-inch disks. Press or spread the dough dish on top of a baking sheet or pizza stone. Now it’s time to add on the toppings.

3. For the Pistachio Olive Oil: In the bowl of a Molcajete, add in all of the shelled pistachios, and the pour in enough olive oil to just cover the pistachios. Using the pestle, crush the pistachios until they are rough and chunky in texture, and not smashed into a powder. Stir the crushed pistachios with the olive oil to make a cohesive mixture. Set this aside.

4. For the Crispy Prosciutto: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide the prosciutto evenly between both baking sheets, making sure to lay them flat. Brush the tops of the prosciutto with some EVOO and scatter the fresh sprigs of rosemary or sage on top. Bake the prosciutto until the fat turns golden and the meat is darker in color. This will take about 15 minutes (making sure to rotate baking sheets from top to bottom halfway through the baking time). Using tongs, carefully transfer the prosciutto to paper towels to drain (it will continue tot crisp as it cools). Set them aside until you are ready to assemble the pizza.

5. Assembling the Pizza: Get your two prepped pizza dough disks on baking sheets and press two cloves of minced garlic into each dough round. Place the pizzas into the preheated oven and bake for 7-9 minutes. Remove from the oven and begin assembling the toppings. Start by spooning and spreading the pistachio olive oil, followed by scattering the caramelized shallots evenly over the pizza dough. Next add on the shredded mozzarella, freshly great Parmesan, crispy prosciutto, and shaved pears. Brush the tops of sliced pears with some maple syrup, and then sprinkle the surface of the pizza with crushed red pepper flakes, fresh thyme, kosher salt, and fresh cracked pepper. Lastly, crumble the goat cheese on top to finish off the pizza. Boost the oven up to broil and place them back into the oven for about 3-5 minutes until the cheese has melted, the pears have begun to crisp around the edges, and the crust has a toasty golden brown color (make sure to rotate the pizza pans, so they evenly cook).

6. Remove the pizza from the oven and cut into slices. Garnish the pizza with fresh baby arugula on top, if you please! Enjoy!

The Best Homemade Brown Butter Rainbow Baby Heirloom Tomato Sauce

This recipe might be a little boring for some of y'all... it might be exciting for the rest. It's a classic. Something that every gal needs up her sleeve for a multitude of dishes. This is a step-by-step to the best tomato sauce. This girl right here, loves brown butter. I would bathe in brown butter if I could. Hell, I'd make an eau de perfume if I could. It masterfully makes any dish better with its' nuttiness and lusciousness. But back to the sauce, the famous sauce. A great tomato sauce is important because all men love spaghetti + meatballs, lasagna, pizza... you pretty much name it. So, trust me with this one, and make this sauce for all of it. It starts with a shit ton of butter, three sticks, it's worth it, so hush. Along with the shit ton of butter comes a shit ton of heirloom rainbow baby tomatoes. And that's what I love about this recipe because most tomato sauces start with a can of plum tomatoes. Don't get me wrong, I love me some San Marzano Tomatoes, they are great! But, there is something about the freshness of this sauce because of the use of the heirlooms. The flavor is amped up with some fresh garlic, roasted garlic, bell peppers, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, red wine, dried basil, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, and a'whole'lotta fresh basil. Basil basil BASIL!! Each and every ingredient boosts the sauce in a very unique way. The red wine gives it body, the bell peppers give it some bite, the tomato paste gives a concentrated flavor, the roasted garlic gives it an aromatic smoothness, and the seasonings give it that little extra oomph! And y'all, it only takes about 45 minutes to make, but tastes like you've been cookin' it all day. Don't you worry either, you can say you've been slaving away on this masterpiece, I won't tell anyone!! Enjoy :)

Sauteeing the garlic, onion, and bell peppers...

Rainbow baby heirloom tomatoes being added in...

And the baby tomatoes bursting in the brown butter...

And that torn fresh basil....

Oh, it's starting to look real good...

Here's where you add in the tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, and red wine...

Simmer, simmer, simmer...

And add all that good herbs and seasonings...

Girl, that shit's done.

For the Sauce:

3 Sticks of Unsalted Butter

4lbs of Rainbow Heirloom Baby Tomatoes

4T EVOO

2C Diced Vidalia Onions

2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

½C Mixed Bell Peppers, Diced

1 Tube of Tomato Paste

1 Head of Garlic, Roasted

2T Balsamic Vinegar

½C Red Wine

1t Dried Basil, Dried Oregano, & Coriander

1T Red Pepper Flakes   

1 Large Bunch of Fresh Basil, Half Chiffonade + Half Torn

Kosher Salt + Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste (and a little sugar if needed)

Directions:

1. In a pot, melt the three sticks of butter over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and let it come to a bubble and start to brown the slightest bit. Add in the tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes until they begin to soften and burst, while the butter browns, about 15 minutes.

2. In a medium pan, heat the EVOO over medium heat. Add in the onion and diced bell pepper and sauté for 10 minutes until translucent. Toss in the minced garlic and barely cook, just about 3-5 minutes.

3. Add the sautéed vegetables into the brown butter-tomato mixture, along with the tube of tomato paste, head of roasted garlic cloves, balsamic vinegar, red wine, dried basil, dried oregano, coriander, and red pepper flakes. Simmer this mixture for 30 minutes.

4. Stir in the torn and chiffonade basil. Season with kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, and a little bit of sugar (if needed and all to taste).

5. It’s ready to serve!

Herbed Strawberry Bruschetta with Whipped Feta + Pink Peppercorn Balsamic Reduction on Olive Oil Fried Multigrain Toast

Herbed Strawberry Bruschetta with Whipped Feta + Pink Peppercorn Balsamic Reduction
on Olive Oil Fried Multigrain Toast

Hey y'all, I hope everyone had a great Fourth of July holiday… we sure did. My Mountain Man and I celebrated our one year engagement anniversary. I can't believe it's already been a year of wedding planning, it seemed to pass so slowly and now looking back, it was too incredibly fast. Just in a short three months, we will be saying "I Do" in Atlanta. So bizarre. Anyway, today I am sharing a recipe that should be enjoyed all spring and all summer long. We're huge fans of bruschetta over here… and by that, I mean we could just eat a massive plate of it for dinner and call it a night. We don't discriminate, not even when it's made with fruit. Ripe strawberries pair beautifully with savory flavors and this recipe is a great example of that! I was actually inspired by a dish at our favorite restaurant (and wedding location), JCT Kitchen + Bar. It was a simple side of the ripest, sweetest strawberries that I have ever tasted with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic, some crumbled feta, and minced basil, mint, & chives. As we popped each berry into our mouth, the flavors sang so loudly and tasted so brightly. I couldn't believe the flavor combination. I just knew I had to take this idea and run with it. My recipe starts with a good loaf of multigrain bread, cut into rounds, and fried until golden brown in olive oil (a personal favorite technique when it comes to making bruschetta). Then, I made some whipped feta in the food processor, which is a breeze to make, but yields such lovely results. You could easily sub in goat cheese here, if you prefer, however I totally recommend the feta cheese. The strawberry bruschetta topping begins with chopping the berries into cubes and macerating them in a little sugar, balsamic, and lemon. I did this for about an hour, just to allow them to deepen and sweeten in a flavor (it's a must-do).  Luckily for me, I have a whole mess of fresh herbs growing in our garden, so I just minced up basil, mint, chives, and parsley, and added it to the mix. Save a little bit of the mixed herbs for garnishing though, it gives a beautiful contrast against the red berries, white feta, and dark balsamic. The balsamic reduction is enhanced with some crushed pink peppercorn because I absolutely love that flavor profile when paired with strawberries. Last year, I made strawberry-pink peppercorn jam and it was fab. So do it. Everyone loved this easy + fresh appetizer, and I can't wait to make it again and again and again!! Enjoy :)

For the Whipped Feta Cheese:

8oz Creamy Feta Cheese, Room Temperature (or very soft)

2oz Cream Cheese, Room Temperature (or very soft)

3T Cold Heavy Cream

Pinch of Salt & Pepper

For the Herbed Strawberry Bruschetta Topping:

1 Pint of Fresh Strawberries, Cut into Cubes

2T Balsamic Vinegar + 1-2T Sugar (depending how ripe your berries are)

1 Lemon, Zested & Juiced

2T Olive Oil

Big Handful of Fresh Basil + Mint, Minced

2T Minced Chives

Fleur de Sel + Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

¼t Red Pepper Flakes 

For the Pink Peppercorn Balsamic Reduction:

¼C Balsamic Vinegar

1T Honey

½t Crushed Pink Peppercorns (or to taste)

For the Bruschetta:

Prepared Herbed Strawberry Bruschetta Topping

Prepared Whipped Feta Cheese (plus crumbled feta for garnish)

Slices of Multigrain Bread

Olive Oil, For Frying

Prepared Pink Peppercorn Balsamic Reduction, For Drizzling

Freshly Minced Basil, Chives, & Mint, For Garnishing

Directions:

1. For the Whipped Feta Cheese: In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the softened cream cheese and salt until thoroughly mixed. Scrape down the sides and turn the mixer to medium-high speed and add in ¼C heavy cream. Continue whipping, while continuously adding a little bit of a crumbled feta cheese at a time, until the feta cheese is combined throughout. Add in the remaining ¼C heavy cream and beat on high until it is light & fluffy. Season the feta cheese with salt & pepper to taste. Spoon this mixture onto a serving plate.

2. For the Herbed Strawberry Bruschetta: In a large mixing bowl, toss together the cubed strawberries, balsamic vinegar, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Let the berries macerate for an hour. Add in the remaining ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside for 15-30 minutes to let the flavors meld.

3. For the Balsamic Reduction: Add the balsamic vinegar and honey to a small saucepan and cook to reduce for 3-5 minutes, or until thick and syrupy. Stir in crushed pink peppercorns. Set this aside until ready to use.

4. For the Multigrain Bread: Heat about 1 inch of olive oil in a deep sauté pan over medium-high heat. Fry the slices of multigrain bread in the oil until golden brown & crispy, about 2 minutes on each side.

5. Assembling the Bruschetta: Spread the fried bread with some of the whipped feta, and then top each piece of bread with a mound of the strawberry Bruschetta topping mixture. Garnish with a drizzle of balsamic reduction, crumbled feta, and fresh minced herbs. Serve immediately.

Fancy Southwestern Marinated Cheese Dip with Whipped Feta, Colby Jack + Pepper Jack Cheese Cubes, + Marinated Herby Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette

Fancy Southwestern Marinated Cheese Dip with Whipped Feta, Colby Jack + Pepper Jack Cheese Cubes,
Marinated Herby Roasted Red Pepper Dip

There is something about this dip that everyone just adores... and I'm not sure I get it. Well, I didn't until I made a schmancified (adjective of shmancy) version of it. That's what I like to do, so deal with it. The original recipe comes from here and involves a task-worthy cutting & stacking of cream cheese and cheddar cheese. I hated it. You have to practically freeze the cream cheese in order for it to look correct after cutting or it gets all schmeary (adjective of schmear). Also, that means you had these clunky blocks of cheese and drippy dressing that you have to handle with your hands, which is NOT good for a party. Lemme tell y'all, that shit gets all over your dress. Nonetheless, it was still the hit of the party and my family couldn't stop raving about it. I decided to revamp it some to make it more party-friendly. It did the trick and is even more of a success than the first recipe. Instead of boring cream cheese, I made a whipped feta cheese and spread it onto a plate to form cloud-like piles of fluffy cheese. You could also just use whipped cream cheese or even some yummy Boursin Cheese (or my version of whipped goat cheese would do it all up just fine). In replacement of creating blocks or stacks of cheddar cheese, I cut up some Colby Jack + Pepper Jack Cheese into tiny cubes, which makes it impossibly easy for dipping!! YAY for easy dipping. Then here comes the best part... the Marinated Herby Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette. In a large mixing bowl, you just toss in some olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime, fresh parsley + cilantro, green onions, garlic, finely diced roasted red pepper, minced candied jalapeno, honey, and spices... and it's all done! I let the mixture marinate overnight at least, but it gets better with age. The other recipe suggests marinating the cheese in the vinaigrette mixture, but whenever I did that it made our cheese uber-rubbery and chewy. But, even then, it was still gobbled up at every chance. Thus, I decided to make the vinaigrette and marinate it, then the next day, I added the small cubes of cheese to it and let it soak for about an hour so that it absorbs some of that delicious flavoring. Then you just top your whipped feta schmear with the marinated vinaigrette + cheese cubes, making sure that you get as much of the peppers, herbs, and onions you can. It's really up to you if you want to add some of the "juice" to the dip. While it certainly adds a whole bunch of flavor, it also gives way too much moisture to the whipped feta and can get a little deflated. We serve our dip with some toasted pita chips or Triscuits because it seems to match the flavor profile. You can easily change that up though if ya want. So get on to the store, grab the ingredients, and make the dip... tonight. Or tomorrow if you can. Because it's perfect for any occasion honestly!! Enjoy :)

For the Southwestern Marinated Cheese:

1C Olive Oil

1C White Vinegar, Red Wine Vinegar, or Apple Cider Vinegar (whatever is your preference)

1 Lime, Zested & Juiced

4T Fresh Parsley, Minced

4T Fresh Cilantro, Minced

5 Green Onions, Minced

4 Cloves of Garlic, Smashed into a Paste (using a little sea salt will help this along)

2C Roasted Red Pepper, Drained & Diced

¼C-½C Candied Jalapenos, Finely Chopped

1-3T Sugar or Honey

½t Cumin & Dried Oregano 

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

1 8oz Block of Pepperjack Cheese, Cut into Small Cubes (about ½-inch pieces)

1 8oz Block of Colby Jack Cheese, Cut into Small Cubes (about ½-inch pieces)

For the Whipped Feta Cheese:

8oz Creamy Feta Cheese, Room Temperature (or very soft)

2oz Cream Cheese, Room Temperature (or very soft)

3T Cold Heavy Cream

Pinch of Salt & Pepper

For the Southwestern Marinated Cheese Dip:

Prepared Whipped Feta

Prepared Southwestern Marinated Cheese Cubes

Any Extra or Excess Marinade, For Spooning Over the Top of the Dip

Crackers or Chips, For Serving

Directions:

1. For the Southwestern Marinated Cheese: In a large mason jar, add in the olive oil, vinegar, limejuice & zest, parsley, cilantro, green onions, garlic paste, roasted red peppers, candied jalapenos, and sugar. Cover the jar tightly and shake vigorously until well mixed and incorporated. Taste to see if it needs some salt & pepper, to your liking. Place the small cubes of Pepper Jack & Colby Jack cheese into a Ziploc bag. Pour the prepared marinade over the cheese cubes and let them marinate in the refrigerator overnight or at least 6-8 hours.

2. For the Whipped Feta Cheese: In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the softened cream cheese and salt until thoroughly mixed. Scrape down the sides and turn the mixer to medium-high speed and add in ¼C heavy cream. Continue whipping, while continuously adding a little bit of a crumbled feta cheese at a time, until the feta cheese is combined throughout. Add in the remaining ¼C heavy cream and beat on high until it is light & fluffy. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Spoon this mixture onto a serving plate.

3. For the Southwestern Marinated Cheese Dip: After the cubed cheese has marinated, beat together the two cream cheese blocks until whipped. Place the cream cheese into a serving platter or dish in a thick, even layer. Strain out the marinated cubes of cheese and arrange them over the cream cheese (pressing the cubes in slightly, so they adhere to the cream cheese). Using a spoon, spoon over as much or as little of the marinade as you like, just make sure to get all of the roasted red pepper, candied jalapeno, herbs, and green onion (that’s all the good stuff that adds a delicious flavor a beautiful pop over color). It is up to you how much of the liquid marinade that you want to pour over, some people don’t want all of it on there because it can make the dip a little runny or messy, but I like to spoon almost all of the marinade, just because it has too much flavor to waste! It’s all up to your preferences.

4. Serve the dip cold or at room temperature with some crackers for dipping!

Roasted Tomato Bruschetta with Whipped Goat Cheese + Freshly Grated Parmesan

Roasted Tomato Bruschetta with Whipped Goat Cheese + Freshly
Grated Parmesan

Isn't it so crazy how fast time flies? I mean, every day it seems like each hour passes so slowly, but then you wake up, and it's next year. Does anybody else feel like that or is it just me? I feel like I have been catapulted with slingshot across time, and in an instant, I can't even remember why I feel like I have whiplash. This week has kind of been like that for me. I slowly started to feel like my old self again, got out of bed, worked out, hung out with a friend, showered, cooked a little, and just did, well, normal shit. After going through periods of being extremely ill for months at a time, over a period of four years, and slowly crawling my way out of it each time, days like today I can never take for granted. I never took pride in the fact of being the person who I am. I always envied those people who lived in the moment, took chances, and didn't care what other people thought of them. I so wanted to stop plowing through the list of things I had to get done for the day, not just because I wanted too, but because that was what I was supposed to do. Up until the age of 21, I almost sold my life to playing soccer, so much so, I missed out on a lot of activities all kids should experience. At the time, it was worth it... going to practices sometimes 2-3 times a day, from 4PM until dark, slaving away, over + over, traveling out of town for tournaments every weekend and during most holidays. Don't get me wrong, I loved every minute of being with those girls, but it was something that was just always... expected of me. I can barely recall any specific memories of those days, but it consumed my entire being. It got me into college at the University of Alabama and I can't be grateful enough. But suddenly on the first day of pre-season, my soccer career had ended. Immediately, I was catapulted again into an entirely new arena of living. What is my next step? What do I want to be when I grow up? Who I am? Am I going to make it alone? What do I do? Naturally, I threw myself into my schoolwork. Although, I had never cared much about making good grades, if I studied, I was a great student. So, I chose to study Nursing while at 'Bama and, once again, excelled. I had almost a 4.0 GPA, made all the academic achievement lists, and managed to have a pretty damn good social life. Then bam, health problems galore. One after another, whiplash after whiplash, I slowly watched something I had worked so hard for start to slip away... again. Being bed-ridden for so long, you learn a lot about yourself and the people around you. You learn whether you're a fighter or one who cowers in the corner. You inherently become a pessimist or an optimist, either of which, people love or could possibly hate. You learn who loves you, cares for you, and sticks by your side, even in the darkest of times. Besides watching Netflix all day long, I scoured the internet and became enthralled by food blogs. Their creativity, their gorgeous pictures, their amusing stories... it was all-inspiring. It just clicked, and so I began to cook. I had helped out in the kitchen before, but hadn't done much, and knew barely anything when it came to food. Cooking became an outlet for frustration and also for fun. At the time, I wasn't even allowed to eat anything, yet I managed to create meals and dishes for my family and friends that they loved, and seeing that enjoyment was fulfilling enough. Once I was cleared to eat and I could see the color begin to return in my face and my body, I got more + more creative, even developed my own sense of style + point of view. And now here we are today, I'm that girl. The one that host parties, cooks every dinner, makes birthday cakes, develops secret recipes, fucks up some, and succeeds a good bit. It's so soothing, finally. This whole timeline flashed before me on Tuesday, as I sat across from my young niece trying to blow out her birthday candles on the cake I had made her. She has her whole life ahead of her, and just a day before, I thought I was in her shoes. And I'm not, I'm here. I made it. I found what I truly love to do, AND before my mid-life crisis. That's probably my biggest accomplishment so far (besides finding the man of my dreams), and ya know what, I'm proud of it, I'm proud of it all. This blog, these recipes, they are a labor of love. Will y'all help me celebrate it? Even though Summer has said its' goodbyes and gone into hiding, I took one of our favorite dishes that we enjoy during that time, Bruschetta, and gave it a little touch of Autumn. Instead of fresh heirloom tomatoes, sweetened + ripened by the hot sun, I roasted some cherry tomatoes in the oven until they were concentrated with so much flavor. There is just something about roasting vegetables that "screams" fall to me, no? Yep. The tomato topping is finished with all the classic ingredients, but taken over the top with a bunch of roasted garlic. Finally, I fried some bread rounds in olive oil and spread the crusty tops with some homemade whipped goat cheese and a big 'ole spoonful of the good stuff. Garnish with freshly grated parmesan and you have a crowd pleaser. I know this because my two year old niece had about three; it was impressive, nonetheless. So maybe, just maybe, this bruschetta got me out of my funk. I hope it can warm your soul through 'n through, like it did ours. Enjoy y'all :)

For the Roasted Cherry Tomatoes:

2 Pint of Rainbow Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, Sliced in Half

Olive Oil, For Drizzling

Fresh Thyme or Fresh Rosemary

Fleur de Sel & Fresh Cracked

For the Roasted Tomato Topping:

Prepared Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

½C Shallot, Finely Chopped

8 Roasted Garlic Cloves, Minced

½C Fresh Basil, Chiffonade (plus a little extra for garnishing if you like)

1T Olive Oil  

1T Red Wine Vinegar + 1T Balsamic Vinegar

¼t Crushed Red Pepper Flakes + Dried Oregano

Salt & Pepper, To Taste (and a pinch of sugar for sweetness)

For the Bruschetta:

Prepared Tomato Topping

Homemade Whipped Goat Cheese, For Spreading

Thick Slices of Country Bread

Olive Oil, For Frying

Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

1. For the Roasted Cherry Tomatoes: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and toss the tomatoes lightly with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread them out in one even layer on a baking sheet. Roast the tomatoes for 30-40 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft, caramelized, and starting to char. Set them aside until ready to use.

2. For the Tomato Topping: Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix until everything is incorporated. Let the mixture sit at room temperature to allow the flavors to meld.

3. Heat about 1 inch of olive oil in a deep sauté pan over medium-high heat. Fry the slices of bread in the oil until golden brown & crispy, about 2 minutes on each side.

4. Assembling the Bruschetta: Spread the fried bread with a layer of whipped goat cheese, roasted tomato topping, basil Chiffonade and freshly grated Parmesan. Enjoy immediately.