Sunday, March 15, 2009

Italian For Breakfast

I hate seeing perfectly good ingredients go to waste. Why does store-bought basil start to go bad so quickly? Can't supermarkets sell them in smaller quantities for those of us who use it only once in a while? After all, not every recipe calls for a whole bunch of basil. And it isn't cheap! Ditto for parmesan cheese. Most recipes call for the good stuff, then ask you to only use a 1/4 cup.

Well, there I was, with my leftover basil and "good" parmesan (as opposed to the stuff in the green bottle), thinking "dammit, now what?!". And then it came to me. I would solve two problems in one go. Breakfast! I'm always having issues with coming up with something interesting enough for breakfast. I'm one of those people who can easily skip brekkie if I can't think of anything exciting to eat. But that's where my love for Italian food helped. More than any other cuisine (just in my opinion folks, I'm allowed to have one!), I think the charm about Italian food is its simplicity. The freshest of ingredients are allowed to shine through without messing around with them too much.

So come with me, and let's pretend that we just woke up to a lovely summer morning in the Tuscan countryside (if it helps you can imagine waking up next to a scrumptious young stud, called Lucio or Fabio or some such moniker that makes your lips pucker up every time you say it). For breakfast you wander outside to your villa's garden and pick the fresh basil growing there. Then Paolo saunters into the kitchen, while you whip up this tasty little morsel.

Breakfast Bruschetta

Ingredients:
Good bread, sliced
Fresh plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
Fresh basil leaves
Parmesan cheese (yeah, the good stuff), grated
Freshly ground black pepper

Method:
1. Toast your bread.
2. Lay some basil leaves on each slice.
3. Put on a layer of tomato slices.
4. Sprinkle some black pepper over them.
5. Grate the parmesan all over the tomatoes, and be very generous. Have Alesandro do it - you'll enjoy watching.
6. Put the slices on a baking sheet and straight under the broiler for 5 minutes until the cheese has mostly melted. Buon appetito!
It's ready to enjoy straight out of the oven, and you can savor your little Italian fantasy right up to the last bite. Make it last. Because after that it's back to suburbia, the farm or a cramped city apartment. Unless you're actually in Italy as you're reading this, which in that case, makes you one how-dare-you-be-so-lucky duck, and me one crabby jealous woman.

Oh, I'll get over it - DH may not be called Rafaello but he does look better than I do in the mornings, and he makes the best coffee, just the way I like it. I know - DH wins.

Since fresh basil is key to the taste of this Breakfast Bruschetta, am also submitting this entry to the lovely Yasmeen over at Health Nut (I can only admire anyone who is - I'm just a nut) for the next Weekend Herb Blogging round-up.

12 comments:

Varsha Vipins said...

Fussy mornings n breakfast Bruschetta's..Absolute match..!!
I have excatly the same prob with all these herbs,so much that I have stopped buying bulk herbs excpet cilantro,for which I could find a decent way to keep it alive for somedays..:)

Donna-FFW said...

I loveyour idea of a bruschetta for breakfast, may I borrow it this morning? It looks delectable!

Anonymous said...

I love the idea of the breakfast Bruschetta - delicious! Your feed is working perfectly now!

Roumopod said...

You are just tooooo goood Muneeeba...do u have a page on fb? following there is so much more easier..we can ten always get back to ur blog to check it out.
:D
this sounds crazy hot. I am going to do this sandwich right away.
btw...what camera do you use?
:)

Roumopod said...

Muneeba, you are just too good to be true. Loved this and this is something i am bound to love and make and make and make the rest of my life.
Do you have a page to follow n Facebook, since I check that much more frequently and letting your blogfollowers know of a new post there would be just great.
BTW, what camera do you use?
:D:D:D:D

Keeep posting yummy stuff.

Sara said...

This looks so good, would have never thought to make bruschetta for breakfast!

Anonymous said...

yum!!
can i use dried basil... if i cant get my hands on the fresh stuff?

meshu

Muneeba said...

Me thinks dried basil wouldn't work as well, Meshu (btw, HI HON, thks for commenting!). But you could sprinkle it over the tomatoes & see what it tastes like.
5 Star Foodie - I'm so relieved abt my silly feed! thks for keeping an eye on it - looks like all it needed was that little FeedBurner ping.
Ophiuchus, I don't have a FB page for my blog ... yet. But it's not a bad idea!

Yasmeen said...

I'd love this simple refreshing breakfast any day,the Tuscan ambiance would be an added bonus.Thanks Muneeba for sending over this no-fuss fresh herb delight to WHB:)

Kerstin said...

I just stumbled on your blog and I'm really enjoying it! What a great idea to have bruschetta for breakfast - yum!

Anonymous said...

You are hysterical! I love your writing style, it is so super fun.

I, too, have problems figuring out breakfast. I seem to like leftovers best (i.e. real food, as opposed to special "breakfast" food), but what to eat in the mornings when there are no leftovers??

Talita said...

So simple and looking so good. Love it!