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SO.
A littler shorter than usual post today.ย I am in LA, and well, trying to keep up with my younger brother Kai, his friend and my cousin Abby is almost beyond my reach.
FYI, the whole LA cloudy skies and 60 degreeย weather thing is SO not cool. Come on, I have been dreaming about the warm sunย andย 80 degreeย temps that southern Cali is known for? I am telling you, I bring the cloudsย and cold temps with me. UGH. Oh, well, I guess itโs better than snow. My mom said it snowed the entire weekend back at home!
The good news is that I think I have got my brother excited about going to school in LA, which clearly I am excited about because that means visits!!ย Yes! Hopefully the weather will include sunny skies for the next visit though.
So on Friday we visited FIDM, the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. Not exactly a school that my brother would be first to consider, but the school has grown way beyond simply fashion and design. I love the internships they offer and their progressive ways of teaching. I think I have mentioned before that my brother Kai (Malachi) is a snowboard filmer, but he would like to get a business degree. If he were to attend FIDM, he could combine both of these interests by getting an AA in Digital Media and a Bachelors of Science in Business. It also doesnโt hurt that 90% of the student population are women.
My excitement and knowledge on FIDM comes from personal experience. Before I started this blog I was all set to start at FIDM. Knowing the type of person that I am, I headed out to LA as soon as I graduated from Colorado Mountain College, got an apartment and a job and began living the LA life to make sureย it was for me, before committing to two more years of school there. The job worked out well, and I had a nice little apartment, but after a few months of living in LA I didnโt feel ready to commit. Looking back I think it was just too much different too soon. But I am super excited that this may be where Kai soon calls home.
So anyway.
I really want to tell you about this pretty as ever arugula-basil pesto bruschetta.
This bruschetta is so prefect for summertime entertaining. Itโs a great use of farmerโs ingredients and so fresh, easy and delicious.
Plus, umm that arugula pesto with those perfectly sweet tomatoes โ perfection. If I could add in an emoji with two thumbs up, this would be the place.
For the pesto, I kept everything really simple by just leaving it a chunky pesto. This way all you need to do is chop and add everything a to a bowl.
I donโt know about you guys, but to me, breaking out the food processor or blender just to make some pesto is a pretty daunting task. I honestly despise cleaning my food processor. Just way too many parts.
I love the mix of spicy arugula and basil. Plus, I used cashews in the pesto in place of traditional pine nuts for a little change-up.
Love it.
The rest is really simple.
Some salami, which you can of course leave off if you are a vegetarian, but I personally love the flavor it adds. Especially with the combo of the pesto and tomatoes.
I also added some buffalo mozzarella for a little bit of cheesyness, because you know I cannot make a meal/snack/appetizer or whatever you want to call these without a little cheese.
Cheese makes all things better but especially carby things.
Oh, and I sprinkled in just a few kernels of fresh corn.
Clearly,ย it is early for corn, but surprisingly, my groceryย store has had it in for a few weeks now and itโs actually pretty good, so why not goย for it.
With Memorial Day being this weekend, I figure today was a pretty good time to share this quick app with you guys.
Itโs definitely going to be a staple me for me this summer.
Tomato, Salami and Chunky Arugula-Basil Pesto Bruschetta.
Ingredients
Chunky Arugula-Basil Pesto
- 2 cups fresh basil
- 1 cup fresh arugula
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 1/3 cup roasted cashews (almonds, pistachios, walnuts or pine nuts work too)
- 1/3 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
The Rest
- 6 slices thick cut sourdough bread, use your favorite gluten free bread if needed
- 1 clove garlic, halved
- olive oil, for drizzling
- salt and pepper, for sprinkling
- 8 ounces buffalo mozzarella or burrata cheese, torn
- 8-12 slices thin spicy salami
- 3 heirloom tomatoes, sliced + cherry tomatoes for garnish if desired
- 1 ear [grilled corn | https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/exactly-how-i-grill-my-corn-chipotle-lime-and-cotija-cheese-butter/], kernels removed
- sprouts, for topping (optional)
Instructions
Chunky Arugula-Basil Pesto
- Finely chop the basil and arugula, add it to a medium size bowl. Chop the cashews and finely mince or grate the garlic, add them to the bowl with the basil and arugula. Add the parmesan and a pinch of salt + pepper. Pour in the olive oil. Using a fork mix well and then sort of mash all the ingredients together with the fork. If desired add more olive oil until your desired consistency is reached.
Bruschetta
- Preheat your grill to high heat or preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Place the slices of bread of bread on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil on both sides. Rub each side of bread with the halved garlic clove. Sprinkle the toast with salt and pepper.
- Place the bread slices on the grill and grill both for about 2-3 minutes per side or until lightly chard. Remove from the grill.
- Spread the bread with pesto. Add a slice or two of salami and then add some of the torn mozzarella. Add a few slices of tomato, sprinkle with salt + pepper. Top with a little pesto and a little corn.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
But can we all agree this is some seriously good Monday food? I think so.
As someone with a tree nut allergy, a good pesto can be so tricky! But this recipe is PHENOMENAL. Really. I made it with walnuts, as that’s an exception to my allergy, and the pesto was just fantastic! You can probably sub out any nut substitute you wish, as long as it’s toasted. I also chose to roll with prosciutto as salami is not something my people are keen on. But these little snacks are so satisfying and surprisingly filling, so make them – now! 5 stars from us.
Hi Lucy!
I am really glad you were able to make this recipe and it turned out so well for you! Thank you so much! xTieghan
I’m a fairly new reader to your blog. A friend recommended your pita recipe and I was sold! This was the second recipe I tried, serving it for lunch when my parents were visiting. Unfortunately, heirloom tomatoes weren’t available yet, so we used beefsteak along with some beautiful little colored cherry tomatoes. Everyone raved and inhaled, even my 2.5 year old daughter. As I’ve gone back through, I can’t get over how every post is just full of incredible photography that turns even the simplest concept into a work of art. For real. Keep it up and I will coming back! Can’t wait to test more. ๐
Hey Laura!!
THANK YOU SO MUCH!! Your kind words made my night!! Hope you love everything you try! :0
Thank you so much for this post! i would have that for lunch.
Lovely recipe! I adore pesto, all of them!
Thank you so much!! Have a great weekend!!
Wow!! I can’t get enough of how colorful and mouthwatering this buschetta looks. Thanks for sharing!