Challenge Recipe #5

-Bruschetta-

For our last challenge recipe (shop/cook a meal for 2 at a local/organic shop), I decided to go to the Linden Hills co-op. It is very close to my moms, and she was having a bunch of family over for a birthday party. Because she was making spaghetti for dinner, I decided to partner up on that meal and make some bruschetta as an appetizer for everyone. (Since the challenge called for a meal for 2 under $15, I tried to balance it out and make an appetizer for 4-5 under $15). I had never been there before, and I was very excited to make a trip! I never find myself really price checking as often as I should; however, I personally believe that the higher cost of food is worth the nutritional and economic benefit. 

I really enjoy/enjoyed the vibes at this co-op, I love the wide selection of produce, and was excited to see what they had in store or me and my bruschetta. Every time I go into a store like Whole Foods, I know that I will exit happy, but I don't necessarily know exactly where all of my food is coming from, and whether the "organic" brands are actually the healthier option for me. The one thing this challenge recipe called me to check into is quality and location; It made me think twice about where I shop to get whole/organic foods, and whether I am supporting both my health and the local farmers of our community. I really enjoyed shopping there, and I look forward to going again, and checking out some of the other nearby co-ops!

In terms of my shopping, here is what my recipe called for, and what each item cost at the Linden Hills co-op:

• 1 large organic baguette ($2.49)
• 3-4 large tomatoes, diced ($3.99)
• 3 cloves of minced garlic (1 bulb, $2.99)
• ¼ cup/2 oz. chopped basil leaves (about .99)
• Extra virgin olive oil (already in pantry)
• Balsamic vinaigrette (already in pantry)
• Salt (already in pantry)

Total cost: $10.46

PREPARATION

First, I diced the tomatoes, minced the garlic, and chopped the basil leaves and combined them all together into a bowl.

Next, I took my delicious baguette and sliced it into about 10 pieces.

Then I lathered each slice of bread with olive oil and balsamic (I did this first so that the break would soak up the oils), sprinkled each slice with some salt, then loaded the top of each slice with tomato topping.

I had preheated the oven ahead of time to 350, so when it was ready, I put about half of the slices onto a lightly greased pan, and baked them. They only needed about 5-7 minutes each, and they were perfectly crispy, yet still soft in the middle. I must note, however, that the oven I was using tends to cook much faster than most. I would suggest baking for around 10 minutes.

END RESULT

I made one batch without any cheese....

And one with some Parmesan on top! They were both delicious!