Bruschetta

I feel as if I start many of my posts this way, that is by saying this is how Americans conceive a specific type of thing.  Quick!  I say sushi you say_____________________! And many people, probably not the ones reading this blog, immediately associate "raw fish" as the definitive feature of sushi.  Sushi actually refers to the rice, not the fish.  Although, we have come to commonly appreciate one type of sushi in the West, primarily that associated with raw fish.  I feel as if we can do the same thing with bruschetta.  Bruschetta to many Americans means, "yummy bread with tomatoes, basil, and olive oil served on bread.  However, bruschetta actually translates as "roasted over coals" and in some parts of Italy its called fettunta which means "oiled slice".  For all intensive purposes bruschetta is generally a garlic toast that has been brushed with olive oil and toasted over coals.  However, I refuse to eat fresh tomatoes unless they are at the perfect peak of season.  All other times of year I eat canned San Marzano or sun-dried tomatoes.  Tip:  Cherry & grape tomatoes are often sweet year round and I will buy them if I need fresh tomatoes out of season.

My wife and I had some lovely new friends over for dinner last night and I offered to make Bruschetta and Vichyssoise for appetizers.  And by the way, Vichyssoise could be made by a five-year old, but that's a different post.  These friends happen to be one of my favorite yoga teachers and her husband and I remembered that she loves kale.  So I decided to invent one for her.  I also made another one out of apricot jam and a summer cheddar cheese which was also delicious, but that doesn't require a recipe.  Use apricot jam and a good mild white cheddar.  And it doesn't stop there think of using sun-dried tomato spread, various beans or lentils, arugula salads, prosciutto, etc.  Here is the recipe for Kat's Kale Bruschetta:

• 1 lg. bunch kale
• 1 loaf bread--This can be day old because it's going to be grilled.  I used a Kalamata boule from Whole Foods, but any good bread would work.
• 1 sm. can Cannellini--I think it's about 14-15 oz?  Any bean will work like chickpeas.
• 3 heads roasted garlic, less if you prefer (To roast, cut off the top third of each head of garlic, drizzle with olive oil and Kosher salt, wrap tightly in aluminum foil and roast in oven at 350 for 90 minutes. I usually do this the day before or whenever the weather is coolest that week.)  
• Olive oil
• Lemon Juice
• S & P
• Aleppo pepper, regular crushed red pepper flakes will work just as well

Make all the components ahead of time before you start the grill.  (Oven toasted bread works well in the winter months.)

For the Bean-Garlic spread:

Squeeze all the roasted garlic from the heads, taking care to pick out any paper skin that clings.  Drain and rinse the beans.  Please all ingredients if a mini food processor if you have one, other wise you're going to have to use a mortar-pestle or a bowl, masher, whisker, etc. Add a bit of S&P, squeeze of lemon, and a drizzle of oil.  Use whatever means you have at your disposal to make this into the smoothest paste possible.  You don't want it runny. You want a smooth spread that will stick to the bread and act as a "glue" to keep the kale salad on the bruschetta.  

For the Kale salad:

Bring the absolutely largest pot of water that you own, to a rolling boil.  (If you use a smaller pan or a steamer, you risk the kale losing it's bright green color before it's cooked enough.) Add kosher salt, more than you think you should.  (The additional salt helps keep the kale bright green!)  Have a large bowl of ice water standing nearby.  Strip the kale from the stems, and tear into equally medium to large pieces.  Drop the kale into the boiling water and keep testing leaves, you want them to become just softened without losing any of their bright green color.  Ere on the side of less cooking time.  Immediately transfer the kale to the ice water and make sure it is completely submerged to stop the cooking process.  Dry the dale with a salad spinner or paper towels; I use both.  Dress the kale with olive oil, the juice of an entire lemon, S&P, and some type of hot seasoning like Aleppo or crushed red pepper flakes.  

Slice the bread, brush generously with olive oil, and grill over coals, or toast in the oven.  Assemble bruschetta with a schmear of Bean-Garlic paste and arrange the Kale salad.  Serve immediately.  Can set at room temp for a few hours as long as you thoroughly dried the kale leaves before dressing them.  Enjoy.