Description
Rustic bruschetta of roasted tomatoes and mushrooms, red onion, kalamata olives, and grilled bread. A great summer appetizer.
Ingredients
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- 1 loaf of ciabatta bread, sourdough or another fresh firm bread, sliced into 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick slices.
- Olive oil
- 10-12 large plum tomatoes, rinsed, dried and cut in half lengthwise.
- 1 pound of crimini or baby bella mushrooms (about 24), washed, dried, stems removed.
- 8 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced into quarters, lengthwise
- 6-8 fresh thyme sprigs plus extra for garnish
- Kosher salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- 24 pitted Kalamata olives, sliced into quarters lengthwise
- 1 small red onion, peeled, sliced in half from root end to root end, then each half very thinly sliced, crosswise.
- A splash of balsamic vinegar, optional
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Heat grill to medium-high.
- Lay bread slices on a large tray and brush on both sides with olive oil. (3-4 tablespoons should be enough for all the bread) Grill bread for a minute or two per side, checking often, until it is crisp in places and there are some grill marks, but it is still supple. After it's grilled, I like to cut each bread slice crosswise into three smaller pieces. Set bread aside. (Once the bread is completely cool, it can be stored in a sealed baggie for a couple of hours until you are ready to serve)
- Spread 3 tablespoons olive oil over the bottom of a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle garlic and thyme sprigs around. Add the tomatoes cut side up. Sprinkle tops of tomatoes with 1 teaspoon salt and several grinds of fresh ground pepper. Flip them over into the oil so they are cut side down.
- Spread 2 tablespoons olive oil over the bottom of a second rimmed baking sheet. Add mushrooms and roll them around in the oil to coat. Turn them so they are stem side down. Sprinkle them with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and several grinds of fresh ground pepper.
- Roast the tomatoes in the bottom third of the oven and the mushrooms in the top third for 1 1/2 hours, flipping both over after 45 minutes. Remove trays from the oven. (note: cook tomatoes for an extra 5-15 minutes if there's still a lot of liquid in the pan, checking every 5 minutes until the pan juices are reduced and thickened)
- Transfer the tomatoes to a large bowl and slice them up a bit, into smaller pieces. Immediately, while the tomatoes are still hot, add the onions and olives, and stir gently to combine.
- Slice the larger mushroom caps in half or into quarters, if you like, and add them in with the tomatoes. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar, to taste.
- Serve directly from the bowl or heap the grilled tomato and mushroom mixture onto a platter. Set a basket of the grilled bread beside the tomatoes. Offer small plates so people can take some bread onto their plates and scoop the tomato mixture on top.
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 mins
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: grill, Oven
- Cuisine: Out Of This World