Day old crusty bread is good for a lot of things. Today I’m making bruschetta. A few years ago, Jenny and I went to a dinner party where the host served a delicious bruschetta. It seemed to be made with swiss cheese and carmelized onions.

“How did you make this?” I asked our host.

“It’s bruschetta,” he responded.

“Yes, I see that. It’s delicious. Did you caramelize the onions?” I asked. “And what about the bread, did you toast it first, or all together with the cheese and onions?”

“Oh, it’s just a simple bruschetta,” he said evasively, not telling me anything I needed to know about the ingredients or baking process.

“I can’t believe he wouldn’t tell me how he made the bruschetta,” I complained to Jenny on the way home. “I’m going to make my own bruschetta,” I declared.

Since then I’ve sampled many varieties of bruschetta. My favorite is from the Farmer’s Market in Gualala, a small town on the Mendocino/Sonoma coast. I’ve recreated a version of it since first tasting it about three years ago. The ingredients and the measurements are not exact, which makes it all the more appealing, to taste and to make. You can mix just about anything together, as long as it is fresh, and it will taste good. So if you’re out of rosemary, don’t make a special trip to the market. It will taste just as good with parsley and thyme. And any cheese will work well, though I do like a little blue cheese mixed in with whatever cheeses happen to be lingering in the fridge.

Day old bread (a french baguette or an Italian loaf works well)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
a variety of grated or crumbled cheeses (cheddar, blue, parmesan, asiago or just about anything you have in the fridge will do)
olive tapendade

slice the onions and caramelize on medium or medium low heat in the olive oil (careful not to burn or crisp any of the onion)

when the onions turn a rich brown, take off heat and let cool

carmelized onions

preheat oven to 375 degrees

combine chopped rosemary, thyme, parsley, garlic, cheeses (grated or crumbled), and olive tapenade in a bowl and mix together

mix everything together in a bowl

add onions after they have cooled

place a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet

slice the bread (1/4 inch slices), and place on cookie sheet

top each slice with cheese mixture and bake in preheated 375 degree oven until cheese is melted and browned

Serve warm or at room temperature with a chilled sparkling shiraz or any other refreshing beverage.