Makes 4 servings

True Italian bruschetta is grilled over a wood fire. As this may be impractical for many, a stove top grill works fine, and even a ridged cast iron skillet or toaster oven will work as well.

Ingredients:

½ loaf Italian sourdough bread, (you can substitute any crusty bread)
4 large garlic cloves peeled and pressed through a garlic press
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Coarse sea salt
Black pepper fresh ground

Method:

Cut the bread diagonally into ¾ inch slices.
Grill the bread until it is brown on both sides.
Remove the bread from the grill and spread pressed garlic on each of the bread slices.
Place the bread on a serving platter and drizzle with olive oil.
Sprinkle with a little coarse Sea Salt and fresh ground pepper. Serve immediately, and always offer additional olive oil on the side.
You can also offer olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a dipping bowl on the side.

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Ingredients

Pre-heat a gas grill to medium or heat the broiler to high.
Combine the 4 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil with 2 tsp of Roma spice, whisk together and set aside.
Place tomato slices on a prep platter and sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon of mixed oil and 1 teaspoon of Isle of Capri Sea Salt. Let sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes, if you have time, let sit for an hour.
Brush both sides of the bread with the remaining 3 Tablespoons of olive oil. Salt lightly. Grill (or broil) until crisp with prominent grill marks (or nicely browned), about 2 minutes. Turn and cook the other side of the bread in the same manner. Transfer to a platter and let cool to room temperature .
Pour the tomato juices from the prep platter into a small bowl. Before serving, brush these juices on the bread. Top with the tomatoes and a drop or two of balsamic vinegar and serve.

sea salt recipe, bruschetta recipe

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Herb and Garlic Focaccia Bread

1 package of dry yeast
2 cups warm water
5 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp sea salt
12 cloves of garlic peeled and minced
2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped
4 T extra virgin olive oil

Method:

Using a large bowl, dissolve yeast in ¼ cup of warm water.
Let stand for 5 minutes. Add the remaining water and whisk in flour and salt.
Turn out on floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl and cover. In a warm place in the kitchen, let rise for about one hour or until doubled in size.

Punch dough down and knead several times. Return to oiled bowl. Cover again and let rise until doubled once more.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Divide dough in two equal parts. Using a floured surface, roll each half into a small rectangle of about 9×12 inches.
Place on oiled baking sheets. Scatter garlic, oregano, rosemary, and parsley over the surface of each and press in lightly.
Drizzle each with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with salt to taste.
Bake about 20 minutes or until golden. Cut into strips and serve warm . Ideal with olive oil and balsamico dipping sauce.

Makes two loaves.

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