Bruschetta with Herbed Goat Cheese and Sweet Balsamic Syrup

So, what do you think of the new Calamity Kate's Kitchen? I am still in the process of organizing all of the recipes. Through this organization, I have found some wholes in my recipe collection. The main dish, sides, appetizers and breakfast categories are low on recipes compared to the desserts and cupcakes. So while I will still share cupcakes and desserts, I am going to try to add more main dish, appetizer, sides and breakfast recipes. So... on to my favorite appetizer that Dad and I ate for lunch on Wednesday and Aunt Nancy, Uncle Stewart and I ate for dinner the last night of my vacation!

Italian bruschetta (pronounced “brusketta”) is the perfect summer food. It brings together the best of summer tomatoes and fresh and fragrant basil. I love eating bruschetta all year long, but it isn't nearly as delicious as the fresh summer bruschetta.  I have already made bruschetta 3 times since the second week in May!  

I have a hard time finding foods that Dad and I will both eat, if you remember my parents and brother are Pescetarian, and don't eat any meat or cheese or butter, my favorite things! So while I have been taking care of my dad since his fall and surgery, we have been eating out most of the time. However, eating out every lunch and dinner gets old fast, so I made dad a lunch that both of us could eat. Dad is not as strict with his diet as mom and josh are, so he ate the herbed goat cheese. It was delicious and we gobbled up all of the bruschetta, except for one piece,  that we saved for mom.

I served the bruschetta with tiny red, gold and purple potatoes roasted with olive oil and rock salt! All said, I would have loved a piece of grilled chicken with my lunch but it was delicious and we could both eat together. According to my dad, you must make the cooked down balsamic syrup... it makes the dish!! Enjoy

Bruschetta with Herbed Goat Cheese and Sweet Balsamic Syrup
a Calamity Kate Original but some recipe help came from Simply Recipes
serve 2-3 for lunch and 4-5 for appetizers

Bruschetta
4 on the vine, ripe tomatoes
1 clove garlic, minced fine
2 teaspoons basil, finely chopped 
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon of pepper

Bread
1 french baguette
1 tablespoon butter, melted 
1 teaspoon oil

Herbed Goat Cheese
2-3 tablespoons room temperature goat cheese
1 pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic, optional
2 teaspoons fresh basil, finely chopped

Bruschetta
In a large mixing bowl, add in 1/2 of the fresh basil, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, the minced garlic, and salt and pepper. Chop up the tomatoes, I like more of a peasant style bruchetta, so chop up the tomatoes both fine and chunky and add into the mixing bowl with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Mix the tomato mixture together with salt and pepper to taste and set it aside for 20 minutes. Stir often to allow the flavor to meld.

Bread
Preheat oven to 450˚F. 
Slice the baguette on a diagonal about 1/2 inch thick slices.
Mix together in a small bowl the olive oil and butter. Coat one side of each slice with olive oil and butter mixture using a pastry brush. Place on a cooking sheet covered in foil or parchment paper, butter/oil side down. You will want to toast them in the top rack in your oven, so you may need to do these in batches depending on the size of your oven. Once the oven has reached 450°F, place a tray of bread slices in the oven on the top rack. Toast for 5-6 minutes, until the bread just begins to turn golden brown.
If you wish to toast the bread in a stove-top, pour the olive oil, butter mixture into a large non-stick frying pan. Keeping the heat at medium (setting 4-6) coat the  with the butter/olive oil mixture on the larger side of each slice of bread. Cook until toasty and golden. 

Herbed Goat Cheese
In a small bowl, mix together goat cheese, salt, basil and the optional garlic. Set aside, stirring often.

Using a small thick bottomed sauce pan, pour in the cup of balsamic vinegar. Set the heat to low (settings 1-3) and let it cook down. You want the balsamic vinegar become a thick syrup, so keep  an eye on it making sure it doesn't burn. 5-10 minutes.

Serving Bruschetta

Once the bread has cooled enough to handle, spread the herbed goat cheese onto the buttered side of the bread. Once all of the bread has a nice thick layer of goat cheese, place it on a large platter. Ladle the tomato mixture, with some of the juices onto the bread in a messy but delicious manner. I use a ladle to put the tomatoes on the bread and then pour some of the tomato juice over the bruschetta. Sprinkle on the finely chopped basil and serve.  I pour the balsamic syrup into a small pitcher and pour it over the bruchetta at the table. If you want, sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top. Yum!

Enjoy!