Grilled Farmhouse Bruschetta
One loaf of crusty artisan bread, sliced thin, preferably sourdough
1 pound of farmhouse cheddar, soft fromage or goat cheese
Approx 8 -10 cups tender leafy salad greens (like frisee, arugula, dandelions, squash blossoms, etc...)
2 pounds vine-ripe heirloom tomatoes, fairly thinly sliced
1 pound butter, organic preferred
Extra virgin olive oil, to taste, use basil or porcini olive oil for extra flavor
Kosher or sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Butter both sides of bread, lightly toast both sides on grill or in skillet. Assemble open-face sandwich on baking sheet starting with sliced, spread or crumbled cheese on top, followed by the sliced tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Place in 350 degree oven for about 3 - 5 minutes.
Sprinkle with chopped fresh greens, drizzle with your choice of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Serve whole slices or cut into strips for a slightly messy but smaller serving. Enjoy!
This dish was served to visitors to the Slow Food Booth at the Greensboro Farmers' Curb Market on June 17, 2006. Donations of sourdough bread from Simple Kneads, feta cheese from Goat Lady Dairy, baba ganoush and hummus from Zaytoon, as well as purchases of heirloom tomatoes from Handance Farm, butter from the Amish farmstead, and lots of little extras from other market vendors gave us the very best ingredients to work with. In addition to the basic recipe, we served bruschetta topped with an ever varying array of baba ganoush, hummus, cheddar cheese, feta, arugula and porcini oil.
