Artichoke and Mozzarella Bruschetta
It's artichoke season, which means that large 'chokes for relatively low prices are abundant in the markets right now. As luck would have it, it's also the opening of cookout and porch-sitting season here in Maine, so one of my old favorite recipes made its annual return.
This is a fairly labor-intensive recipe, even for me (due to the necessity to liberate the artichoke hearts from their cocoons) so it's a good one to make when you're bringing something to the party, as opposed to when it's your turn to host the gang.
I do think that it's worth the effort, of course, and so did our hosts Joe and Julia. (Julia reported that the leftover artichoke concoction made an excellent addition to a sandwich to brighten up her work day lunch in the week, by the way.) Something about the combination of artichokes, tomatoes, garlic, olives, capers and mozzarella makes for a seductive morsel to open the festivities on a warm spring evening, especially paired with a light, crisp prosecco.
(A note about bruschetta. The Italian word refers to roasting over coals, and the basic idea is just that: bread brushed with some olive oil and grilled, then rubbed with fresh garlic. Toppings are optional, though in a lot of people's minds the definition seems to refer to the topping, not the bread. Bottled "bruschetta" is often seen in stores, though we all know that grilled bread is difficult to get into a bottle. The word is properly pronounced brew-SKETTA, by the way, since in Italian the letter combination "ch" demands the hard "k" sound. If you don't believe me, get an Italian pronunciation lesson by clicking HERE.)
Artichoke Mozzarella Bruschetta
6 large artichokes, with stems if available*
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced, plus another one for rubbing on the bread
1 T olive oil, plus more for basting
1 tsp basalmic vinegar
1-1/2 T capers
8 oil-cured black olives, pitted
3 T parsley, minced
salt, hot sauce to taste
3 oz fresh mozzarella, cut in small dice
1 baguette
Simmer the artichokes for about 45 minutes in salted water.
Meanwhile, sauté the onions slowly in a tablespoon of olive oil, stirring, until they turn translucent. Add two-thirds of the chopped tomatoes and sauté two more minutes, stirring. Off heat, mix in the garlic, olives, and most of the parsley. Rinse the capers, squeeze them dry and add them to the mixture.
Allow the artichokes to cool, then remove the lower leaves and the stringy casing from the stem. Discard leaves and casing. Remove the upper leaves and refrigerate for a snack another time. Remove and discard the "choke" (inedible fiber portion on top of the hearts). Chop the hearts and stems in irregular chunks.
Mix the chopped artichoke hearts and the vinegar into the tomato/onion mixture. Season with salt and hot sauce to taste, and add a touch more vinegar if necessary.
Slice the baguette on the diagonal to make oblong-shaped slices, 3/4 to 1" thick. Brush both sides with olive oil and grill on a hot grill untl the edges start to char.
Rub the grilled bread with a cut piece of garlic and then scatter on most of the mozzarella. Spread on the artichoke mixture (I like a healthy dose, but that's not really necessary). Top with a few more of the mozzarella dice and some of the reserved tomatoes. Place under the broiler for a few minutes, watching carefully, until the cheese melts and starts to run. Scatter on the reserved parsley and serve immediately.
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*Prepared artichoke hearts packed in water can be used if you wish, I
suppose, though I haven't actually tried it. After you've had freshly-prepared artichoke hearts the done-for-you variety are a disappointment, with little of the delicate artichoke flavor surviving. The predominate taste of this convenience food is of chemical preservatives with undertones of tin can -- so if you go this route you're on your own!
Comments
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Now that I know more about the derivation of "Bruschetta", we have to try it again and use the outdoor grill this time on the bread!
Posted by: JR | April 30, 2007 at 11:45 AM
I actually remember my 'first' bruschetta ~ which I did believe referred to the topping AND mispronouncing, so thanks for those tips ~ it also was served on a northern porch with a fair amount of sitting and, let's see, not proseco but something to the same effect ... lovely. What is 'low price' there in the northland? Here they're something like $2.50 a piece.
Posted by: Alanna | April 30, 2007 at 05:22 PM
This looks really wonderful- toasted bread , artichokes and cheese, what could be better?! Do you think the busy (or lazy) cook could used frozen artichoke hearts?
Posted by: Deborah Dowd | April 30, 2007 at 10:26 PM
one of my favorite sites right here! what unique recipes, this one included. my wife and i really like artichoke but i have never tried to cook it and this recipe will change all of that. thanks! matt
Posted by: matt | May 07, 2007 at 09:10 PM
Yes, artichokes are a bit labor-intensive, and a bit expensive, but there is no taste quite like it. The flash-frozen artichoke hearts are a better option than the canned ones, if fresh are not available, but you need to squeeze all of the water out or they are sorry, soggy little things.
Posted by: Lydia | June 18, 2007 at 06:39 PM
This looks absolutely intriguing. Being married to an Italian and having learned many of the old Italian Family recipes, bruschetta has always been a favorite of mine. I have come across many different versions (one of which was pizza dough rolled - or thrown, as it were - into a 12" round and quickly deep fried - which creates a nice fluffed "bread" base - drizzled with olive oil, garlic clove rubbed on it and served with the tomato/basil/onion "relish") but yours truly is the most unique I have come across.
Posted by: sanityrules | July 12, 2007 at 01:43 AM