In every region where olive oil is produced, it has been traditional to celebrate the harvest and make bruschetta by grilling thick slices of good, chewy peasant bread over a wood fire, then drizzling it with pungent, fresh green olive oil. Sometimes the slabs of bread are rubbed with a garlic clove first; sometimes the olive oil is sprinkled with a bit of coarse salt. But always, it’s a morsel that satisfies the soul as well as the stomach.
Even bruschetta made in a broiler or toaster has some of the romance of the real thing; it’s still a versatile, inexpensive, and savory accompaniment to cocktails. The most common topping for bruschetta is a simple mix of finely diced ripe tomatoes and torn basil leaves. Try it hot from the grill along with a variety of fine olive oils and invite guests to choose their favorites. The only limit is your imagination; some of my favorites include:
• Toss paper-thin slices of sweet onion with chopped fresh tomato.
• Mash avocado with a spritz of lemon juice and top with thinly sliced green onions.
• Make a puree of white cannellini beans cooked with a bit of pancetta, top the puree with arugula leaves.
• Roast red, yellow, and green bell peppers and cut into thin strips.
• Roast thin slices of eggplant.
• Warm ricotta cheese and dust with fresh cracked pepper.
• Overlap slices of chevre, avocado and basil.
Guests love to play the role of connoisseur. Serve bruschetta hot from the grill along with a variety of fine olive oils and invite guests to choose their favorites
In France, cheese is typically served before, and sometimes in lieu of, dessert. In England, hosts will generally serve it after dessert. In America, cheese is most commonly offered as an appetizer during cocktails. It’s always fun to offer a big cheese buffet at a large party, including a variety of hard, soft and creamy cheeses. Whatever you choose, always serve cheese at room temperature to ensure the proper consistency and the full flavor. Crusty chunks of baguette, delicious crackers, fava beans, walnuts, honey, and flavored jelly all elegantly compliment cheeses’ flavor. If you’d like to accompany your cheese tray with fruit, go with one instead of an assortment, as the plate will look cleaner and present more beautifully. Strawberries, figs, apples, and champagne grapes are wonderful options.
For an added dose of elegance, serve three or four slices of different cheeses on an individual plate as a separate course after the meal. If you’re having a cocktail party, you can tray-pass small plates of cheese to each of your guests along with a few crackers or slices of bread.
Strike a balance between mild and strong cheeses, old favorites and trendy newcomers.
Roquefort. Considered the grand-pere of all blue-veined cheeses, this centuries old French cheese has a pungent, piquant flavor that tingles on the tongue in much the same way Champagne does. If this, the King of Cheeses, is a bit salty for your taste, serve it with crackers or bread and unsalted butter. Bleu de Bresse and Pipo Crem’ are other toothsome French blues.
Stilton. The most beloved of English cheeses, this aristocratic blue has an off-white color, pebbly consistency, and mellow flavor with subtle undertones of Cheddar. In England, it is usually enjoyed with biscuits and port, but it’s also delicious with a slice of very tart apple pie.
Gorgonzola. Rich, robust, and creamy, this Italian blue cheese has a flavor all its own. Its pale green veining and very soft texture make it a popular choice for cheese trays.
Camembert. The real thing. Soft and tangy within, crusty without. It comes from the heart of Normandy in France, but several American cheese makers also offer respectable versions. Legend has it that Napoleon kissed the waitress in Normandy who first served him a wedge of Camembert.
Bel Paese. This factory-made Italian cheese is semi-soft and mild; it keeps well and has a reputation for exceptional consistency of quality.
St. Andre. Very rich, very mild, and very popular, this buttery triple-creme is one of France’s best-known exports.
St. Nectaire. Named for a market town in France, this popular semi-soft cheese has a supple texture and mildly tangy taste that marries well with dry white wines and roses.
Montrachet. These small ‘logs’ of goat cheese from the Burgundy region of France are loved for their creamy consistency and pleasantly acidic tang.
Taleggio. A soft cow’s milk cheese from the Lombardy region of Italy; the flavor is rich and slightly piquant.
Explorateur. This luxurious triple-creme from France has 75 percent butterfat and tastes it! (Double-creme cheeses have a minimum of 60 percent milk fat.)
Pont-L’Eveque. One of France’s most prized cheeses, this plump, golden, square-shaped cheese has a soft but not runny texture and a deep-toned, complex flavor that goes particularly well with full-bodied red wines, fresh cider, and the fiery apple brandy called Calvados that comes from the same region.