Is it weird to think that learning to make bread is making me a better person?
School has just wrapped up, and I'm realizing that some of the best lessons I'm taking away have nothing to do with food.
I'm a restless, impatient cook (OK, person), so baking in general really tests me. Sourdough bread is no exception. Each loaf is a labor of love, with a solid three-day prep time. The starter is a living, breathing pet that needs to be fed when it's hungry. The final shaping of the loaf is a careful ritual, flipping and folding to get just the right amount of air in the dough. And it changes with the weather, reacting differently to heat, humidity, and pressure. So every time I decide to take on another loaf, I challenge myself to practice some things I'm not so good at. Patience. Persistence. Attention to detail. So naturally, I can't bear it when a scrap of the final bread goes to waste.
Enter bruschetta. A great way to use up a loaf of great bread when it's almost ready for retirement.
(Nope, this recipe ain't sourdough. I'm not quite qualified to teach that one just yet).
Don't skimp on the olive oil here - a good hearty sourdough can handle it. Use the ripest peaches, quality goat cheese and you'll have your next go-to starter for any dinner party, or the classiest late-night dinner around.
Goat Cheese Bruschetta with Peaches and Arugula
Serves 4 as a starter
Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 5 min Total Time: 15 min
I still can't believe I made this...
Ingredients
4 large slices sourdough bread, about 1/2" thick
4 tsp olive oil
4 Tbs goat cheese
handful arugula leaves
1 peach, sliced
4 tsp honey
Sea salt
Preheat grill pan over high heat. Grill each piece of bread on each side til you get deep, dark grill marks. Remove from the heat and drizzle each piece with a healthy teaspoon of olive oil, maybe a bit more for larger bread.
Smear 1 Tbs goat cheese across each piece of bread. Top with a bit of arugula and a few peach slices. Sprinkle with a touch of sea salt, then drizzle about teaspoon of honey over each slice.
Cut each slice in half and serve.
