If you are lucky enough to snag a ticket to one of Dee Harley’s Farm Dinners in Pescadero, you might be served this recipe as a pre-dinner tidbit. She says, “It’s a delectable and palette-pleasing twist on a classic favorite. Of course, we suggest using your best olive oil, your favorite balsamic and an upgraded orange variety (think Cara Cara!) As for the tomatoes, we suggest going for the ones you crave, the ones with diverse color, anything from heirlooms to cherries! As for the cheese, we’re proud to admit that our fresh and mild Harley Farms Chevre really elevates this bruschetta into the high end of the comfort food category!” Read more about Harley Farms in the spring issue of Edible Monterey Bay, available at these fine businesses.
The Bread
24 slices (1/2 inch thick) of rustic white, wheat or olive laden bread
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Course Sea Salt
The Topper
4 cups (approx.) tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
¼ cup basil, chopped
1 orange of choice
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
8 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounces Harley Farms Chevre
pinch of salt
Brush bread slices with olive oil and a few sea salt crystals on each. Broil until golden, preferably with crunchy edges and a soft center.
Gently toss tomatoes, olives, basil, balsamic vinegar and salt. Add the juice of your orange and little pieces of orange pulp to the mixture, toss again and set aside to let flavors marry, ideally for 30 minutes.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat and sauté garlic until golden brown. You should be happy when garlic has a toasty, crunchy quality. Let garlic rest on paper towel to remove oil.
The assembly is the fun part and there’s really no right or wrong way of doing it. You want the bread slices to have just enough liquid from the mixture to seep into bread and it’s perfectly acceptable to have the tomatoes overflowing the slice. Finish each piece with a pinch of the toasted garlic and a few crumbles of the chevre. It’s not even unheard of to drizzle the slightest bit of a local honey on top!
About the author
At Edible Monterey Bay, our mission is to celebrate the local food culture of Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey Counties, season by season. We believe in sustainability, and we believe everyone has a right to healthful, clean and affordable food. We think knowing where our food comes from is powerful, and we hope our magazine, website and newsletters inspire readers to get to know and support our local growers, fishers, chefs, vintners and food artisans.
