Summer is a season full of BBQs and even if you’re not hosting, it’s nice to bring some sort of appetizer or side dish to contribute to the spread. Yeah – you should bring something. A really great summer appetizer is Strawberry Bruschetta. Sounds weird, but it’s kind of unreal and simple, which you know is my jam. In fact, you might even convince yourself that you’re a legitimately good cook after you make it. Who knows, maybe you are.

You’ll need to purchase the following:

Ingredient #1: Arugula
To be honest, it kind of looks like weeds you’d find in your yard but don’t worry about that. It’s actually a delicious and peppery lettuce.

Ingredient #2: Goat Cheese
You may need two logs of the cheese if you’re cooking for a large group.

Ingredient #3: Strawberries
Great summer fruit. Pick up one or two packages of these depending on the number of people you’re serving.

Ingredient #4: Bread
There are a number of different breads that will work here, but think of what bruschetta is typically served on. Try to get a baguette, sourdough, or a Tuscan artisan bread. One to two loaves should do.

You will also need olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper.

First, slice up the bread and drizzle the top of the bread with olive oil. After you’ve done this, you’re ready to toast the slices. This can be done three ways – in a pan on the stove, in your oven on broil or on the grill. Just toast one side, that way the bread still stays partially soft which makes the appetizer easier to eat.

I don’t like to waste time when I’m cooking. Mostly because I’ve probably wasted all of the “time” I had before a party getting distracted by various things. So I’ve built in this multi-tasking step. While you’re waiting for the bread to be toasted, slice up the strawberries. Do it.

After the bread is toasted, take one clove of garlic and slice off the tip. Then rub the garlic on the top of the toasted bread. The rough edges of the toasted bread will act as a grater of sorts and distribute the garlic evenly. You still get the flavor, but you don’t need to do any  chopping, thus avoiding garlic fingers.

Next, spread each piece of bread evenly with goat cheese. You can’t do this wrong. If you put on too much, it will probably just taste better.

Top each piece of bread with sliced strawberries.

Finally, transfer the bread slices to a serving platter. Sprinkle arugula over the top. Then add salt, pepper and drizzled balsamic.

That’s literally it. I hope you all find this to be an easy and successful appetizer! Let me know how they turn out.

XX,
Fitz

All photos by Caitlin Fitzgibbons