With avocados, strawberries, radishes, and tomatoes abundant this time of year, I decided to combine them to make this colorful summer bruschetta. I know it is not your traditional bruschetta, but trust me, the combinations of texture and flavors are winners.
I started by roasting some fresh garlic, which is easy. Just peel away most of the outer paper-like layers from a head of garlic and then cut off the top exposing the inner cloves. Place the garlic, including the top piece, on aluminum foil and drizzle it with a little olive oil. Wrap the foil around the garlic and seal the foil packet. Then bake it at 400 degrees F for about 40-45 minutes. Open the pouch and check it. It should be soft (think spreadable) and developing a little color (see below). If it is not ready, just bake it a little longer. Then you will have this luscious roasted garlic that you can squeeze out after it cools a little.
For the toast, I sliced a French baguette at an angle to create slices about 1/2 an inch thick (see the photo at the top). By slicing at an angle, each piece will be a little wider than they would be if you slice straight across the baguette, which means more room on top for the good stuff! I placed the slices on a baking sheet and drizzled them with a little olive oil. Then I baked them in a 400 degree F oven for about 10 minutes until they were light golden brown. Don’t overbake them. You don’t want them too crisp.
While the baguette slices were toasting, I mashed an avocado and gently stirred in a teaspoon of Worchestershire sauce. I know that is not a typical mix-in for avocados. You are probably like me and make guacamole a lot by adding pico de gallo to mashed avocados, but this time I wanted something a little different. My goal was to add depth of flavor in a way that would compliment the garlic but not overpower the toppings that I had planned.
After removing the toasted bread from the oven, I spread a little of the roasted garlic on each slice being careful not to overdo it! Then I spread a layer of the avocado mixture on top. Then it was time to have fun decorating the bruschetta with slices of radish, grape tomato halves, strawberry slices, fresh basil leaves, scallions, etc. I even drizzled a little aged balsamic vinegar on some of the slices for yet another layer of flavor. All I can say is that these were a huge hit! My favorites were the strawberry versions. Who knew that strawberries and avocados would go together so well? Be creative and enjoy. Let me know what your favorite combinations are for summer bruschetta.
© 2015 FoodieOasis
