Cucumber and Tomato Bruschetta

In December, one of my good friends had a super fancy party for her 25th birthday.  She and her boyfriend constructed a whole bunch of appetizers that everyone went crazy over, myself include.  I have no shame, I was parked right next to the app table.  Her party and leftover baguette from my french onion soup inspired my foray into bruschetta.  I just used what I had in my fridge (some tomatoes, cucumber, lemon, capers, etc) to come up with my quick week night answer to bruschetta.

Bruschetta is an antipasti that consists of garlic rubbed crostini topped with anything from tomatoes, veggies, meats, olives, etc.  When most people think of bruschetta (self included), they think the tomato salad.  So, I attempted to make something that was bright and a little briny.  I skipped the garlic rubbing step because I added grated raw garlic to the salad.  I smeared on a mixture of goat cheese and ricotta cheese before adding my salad.  It was a fun way to use up extra bread and vegetables!



Cucumber and Tomato Bruscetta
4 roma tomatoes, cored and seeded
1/2 medium cucumber (~3/4 cup); peeled and seeded
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 garlic clove, grated
2 teaspoons minced capers
2 teaspoons chopped chives
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons ricotta cheese, whole milk
1 tablespoon goat cheese
salt and pepper
baguette slices

Chop up the tomato and cucumber into a little smaller than bite-sized pieces and place in a small bowl.

Add the lemon, grated garlic, capers, chives, honey, and olive oil.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.  Let sit for at least a 1/2 hour for the flavors to develop.

Lightly oil the baguette slices.

Toast up.  Season with a little pepper.

Combine the ricotta cheese and goat cheese; season with salt and pepper to taste.  Put a thin layer on top of the toasted baguette slices and top with the salad.  Delicious and delightfully messy!