Summer Bruschetta & Mozzarella Salad

The dog days of summer are here in Oklahoma and everyone is searching for ways to stay cool.  Cooking doesn't always top my list when it's over 100 degrees outside but I decided we needed a fast and easy summer salad/appetizer today.   With all this heat my basil plant desperately

needed a haircut anyway! 

Don't you just love fresh basil?

My favorite summer salad always includes sweet tomatoes, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  I just added fresh basil and buffalo mozzarella then layered all the ingredients for a cool and pretty salad.  I love using colorful ingredients.

I found these colorful Dansk plates...two salad and two dinner plates for a grand total of $4.oo at a thrift store.  I though they would be fun to use for  summer salads or Italian pasta dishes.  

My guys love bruschetta and it's such a delicious appetizer, easy to make and perfect if you have a surplus of basil.

I use a demi loaf of  asiago or sourdough bread.  I drizzle each slice with olive oil, cracked pepper and sea salt and then top with roasted garlic spread and a few pieces of minced fresh garlic.    Place in a 450 oven for 3-4 minutes until the

slices crisp up. 

Remove and layer the basil leaves and cover with a slice of mozzarella.  Top with halved sweet cherry and pear tomatoes that have been salted and peppered then drizzle with balsamic

 vinegar and olive oil.

Finally a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and fresh basil. 

Bake or broil until cheese is melted for a minute or two..I usually stand and keep an eye on them as they can burn so quickly. 

Tip: I also use non-stick foil so they don't stick as the cheese melts. 

They are so pretty and don't last long at my house....I barely had time to take a picture before the guys devoured them.

They are perfect with pasta or grilled steak!

Stay cool!

I'm linking with 
Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays,
Designs by Gollum's
Foodie Friday,
Chari's Sunday Favorites and
The Tablescaper's Summer Sundays

Cool Summer Ceviche for Two

On hot summer days I love serving cold shrimp ceviche as an appetizer or a light meal.    A few restaurants make a really great ceviche here in OKC, but I enjoy making it fresh and adding lots of shrimp.  I change the recipe a tad here and there depending on what I crave or have on hand.    Last evening I added fresh pineapple for a sweet compliment to the

tomatoes and lime.  You can also add mango instead, my market was out so I substituted the pineapple.

 I thawed some frozen precooked shrimp and chopped up my favorite fresh veggies for a homemade salsa.   The colors are as pretty as the taste.

I layered half of an avocado in the bottom of the glass and then a generous portion of the ceviche~a cool and refreshing dinner after working in the hot summer sun.  

I love serving ceviche in a pretty glass and then placed on plates...  

onto a woven tray and out to the patio for

an easy dinner.     

Recipe:

Summer Shrimp Ceviche

1 lb of cooked and  cleaned shrimp

4 small tomotoes diced or a small container of cherry tomotes quartered

1/2-1 c fresh pineapple diced (optional)

garlic salt to taste

ground pepper to taste

1/2 orange sweet pepper diced

1 bunch of cilantro finely chopped

1 small vidalia onion finely chopped

1 bunch green onions chopped

1/4 c olive oil

1/4 c. red wine vinegar

1/4 c. lime juice

1 small seeded jalepeno if desired for heat

Combine, chill and let marinate 

for a least 30 minutes.

Serve over a bed of lettuce as a first course salad  or

in a large margarita glass over diced avocado as an appetizer  or even a light summer meal.  Serve with tortilla chips.

I'm linking with Foodie Friday this week.

Enjoy!

 

Tablescape Thursday and Foodie Friday-Gumbo Night

Gumbo is a favorite at our house and since my recipe makes a large portion and feeds 10-20,  I always have leftovers to take to work, church or share with friends.    I usually freeze some too!  This week we invited friends over for gumbo on Valentine's Eve.   The table was casual and I used my everyday Gibson dishes.

  I had some lobster/crawfish napkins that inspired the table color scheme of  blue and red.  I didn't buy anything new but just used what I already had in my dish collection. 

The soup tureen  was purchased last year at a antique mall for $ 5.00.  It doesn't have a ladle so I used just one of my silver vintage pieces.  The Tureen is perfect for gumbo!  

The candlesticks were purchased years ago at Hobby Lobby at half-price.

The flatware is King Cedric-Oneida and I love these soup spoons.

The smaller soup bowls are from my collection of rice china and since our first course was clam chowder these bowls were the perfect size to layer over the main course "gumbo"  bowls.  

I used the Gibson dinner plates as a charger and placed the napkin under the  soup bowls.  I love the cobalt blue border. 

My favorite red goblets came back out for a pop of color in honor of Valentine's Day.  They are also great for Christmas, Memorial Day and Fourth of July tables as well.     

(No I didn't forget to take the tree down -it's a Valentine's tree)

I am often asked for my recipe so I thought I would share it: 

Crawfish and Shrimp Gumbo

1 medium chopped onion

3 stalks of celery

1/2 chopped green bell pepper

2 tsps of chopped or minced garlic

Smoked turkey sausage (or sausage of your choice) 

Saute above ingredients in 3 Tsp. of  olive oil until onions are translucent.

Add

 1 28 oz large can of diced tomatoes

1 carton of  of a good chicken stock

1 16oz can of tomatoe puree,  sauce or 1/2 can of tomatoe paste  

2 cooked chopped chicken breasts

 I let this simmer on the stove for at least 2 hours then one hour before serving I add the okra.  Last but not least I add the crawfish tails and shrimp.  Make sure you don't overcook once you add the  seafood.  

1/2- 1 lb. of  cleaned medium shrimp

1 thawed package of crawfish tails

Season to taste with:

Cracked black pepper

Garlic salt 

Paul Prodhomme's-Seafood Magic

Serve over rice and finish with a sprinkle of 

File'-gumbo 

This is a perfect meal to serve for Fat Tuesday/ Madri Gras meal as well. 




We had a great night filled with laughter and gumbo!

This week I'm linking with Susan at Between Naps on the Porch's Tablescape Thursday and  Michael at Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday .