Bruschetta Bar

Photo: flickr user Unlisted Sightings

Ingredients

2 loaves of crusty Italian or French bread

2 garlic cloves

cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 lrgs shallots sliced thin

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups chopped seeded vine-ripened tomato

Salt to taste

Freshly-ground black pepper to taste

2 ounces ricotta salata or feta cut fine dice

2 tablespoons minced fresh chives or to taste

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar or to taste

pound arugula, spinach, or

6 garlic cloves minced, and

mashed to a paste with

teaspoon coarse salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt to taste

Freshly-ground black pepper to taste

cup coarsely-shredded mozzarella

cup olive oil

cup unpeeled eggplant in ¼" dice (abt 1 ¼ lbs)

cup finely-chopped onion

cup finely-chopped celery

cup chopped pitted green olives

3 tablespoons chopped drained bottled capers

cup red-wine vinegar

tablespoon sugar or to taste

3 tablespoons golden raisins (optional)

3 tablespoons pine nuts toasted lightly

3 plum tomatoes, cut 1/4" dice

cup finely-chopped flat-leafed parsley

Salt to taste

Freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Preparation

To make toasts: Prepare grill or preheat broiler. With a serrated knife cut bread crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices. Grill slices on a rack set about 4 inches over glowing coals for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and crisp outside but still soft inside.

Alternatively, slices may be broiled in batches under a broiler about 4 inches from heat 1 to 1 1/2 minutes on each side, or until golden.

Rub toasts with garlic on one side and lightly brush same side with oil. Toasts may be made 1 week ahead and kept in an airtight container.

Tomato and Ricotta Salata: In a small skillet cook shallots in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until softened. Stir in tomato and salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring 30 seconds, or until just heated through. In a bowl toss together tomato mixture with cheese, chives, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste and mound about 1 tablespoon on oiled side of each toast.

Mozzarella, Greens, and Garlic: Discard coarse stems from greens and wash leaves thoroughly. Chop greens coarse (there should be about 6 cups).

In a large heavy skillet, cook garlic paste in oil over moderately-low heat, stirring, 1 minute. Add greens, salt, and pepper and saute over moderately-high heat, stirring, until wilted and tender, about 3 minutes. Pour off any excess liquid. Transfer greens mixture to a bowl and cool to warm. Stir in mozzarella.

Caponata: In a heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over moderately-high heat until it is hot but not smoking, in it cook the eggplant, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until it is tender, and transfer it to a bowl.

To the skillet add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and in it cook the onion and the celery over moderate heat, stirring, for 5 minutes.

Add the olives, the capers, the vinegar, the sugar, the raisins, the pine nuts, and the tomatoes and cook the mixture, covered, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 10 minutes, or until it is cooked through and the celery is tender, and transfer it to the bowl. Stir in the parsley, let the caponata cool, and chill it, covered,overnight. Season the caponata with salt and pepper.

This recipe yields 10 servings.