BRUSCHETTA Á LA FAÇON GIOVANNA

It’s not often that I can write about a recipe with such heightened passion. As an avid gourmand and cook, I have come across so many fabulous recipes, but this one has left the greatest stamp on my heart (and stomach for that matter)!

It takes me back to a wonderful period of my life, when I was living in Paris, learning French and embracing la belle vie! My dear amie italienne, Giovanna, also an avid Francophile cooked for me in her shoebox apartment, just a short walk from Gare de l’est! We sat on her bedroom floor (under her elevated bed), eating off a make shift table and drinking a 10 euro Bordeaux from plastic tumblers. Bliss! Since them I have been totally enamored by the simplicity and wholesomeness of Giovanna’s Orecchiette de pomodoro!

So in the spirit of THE CAPTIVE CANAPÉ I have translated the original dish to a bruschetta recipe. But ether way, it will always transport me back!

So please, it’s my pleasure…go on, fall in love with this recipe…I promise you too will be transported!

Captive companion: Giovanna, merci beaucoup pour cette recette incroyable

Captive location: Una Tratoria in Capri

Captivating comment: “C’est très Italienne!”

Captive drop: A Barolo if budget permits, though really any red wine is a fine complement!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of olive oil

3 packets of cherry tomatoes (the best you can afford), halved

4 whole cloves of garlic, peeled (or more if you are like me and just can’t get enough)

8 sprigs of basil

16 shaves of Parmesan cheese

Crusty sourdough loaf

1.     Heat olive oil over medium heat in a heavy based frying pan

2.     Add cloves of garlic and allow them to infuse the oil for 3-5 minutes. Make sure they do not burn

3.     Add tomatoes and cook for 10-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are super soft.

4.     Slice off bread and toast

5.     Add tomatoes to top of toast (be generous), and finish off with a sprig of basil and two shavings of Parmesan cheese.

6.     Serve immediately (this is very important, as the recipe contains quite a bit of oil and you want the toasts to still remain crunchy!)

7.     Delizioso!

Note: This tomato recipe also goes perfectly with Orecchiette (the hand made ear like pasta). Simply cook the pasta as per the instructions on packet, once cooked al dente, mix in with the tomatoes and then serve with the basil and Parmesan!