Words can not express how much I love this appetizer! In fact, it’s what I had for dinner last night. I didn’t intend to eat only the crostini for dinner but I ate several of them, which led to several more and before I knew it, I was full. This is one of those appetizers that is always a hit at parties and potlucks. Plus, it’s delicious, full of fresh flavors and easy to make. I seriously think I could eat it everyday and never grow tired of it!

Since it’s hot right now, I grilled the bread outside on the grill so I wouldn’t heat up the house by turning on the oven. I used small mozzarella balls called ciliegine that I got at Trader Joe’s. I sliced each cherry-sized ball of mozzarella into several slices and put 2-3 slices on each piece of grilled bread. Sometimes I like to put the cheese on the bread while it’s on the grill so it melts. If you want a little zip, add a few dashes of crushed red pepper flakes to the tomato-basil topping. Yumm!

Fresh Mozzarella and Tomato Crostini
-recipe from Williams-Sonoma

Easy to make, crostini are an excellent way to showcase fresh seasonal ingredients. This simple combination of ripe tomatoes, basil and mozzarella cheese makes a perfect beginning to an alfresco meal.

Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing, plus 1/4 cup
1 baguette, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
Salt and coarsely ground pepper, to taste
8 vine-ripened tomatoes, about 1 1/2 lb. total
1/2 cup slivered fresh basil leaves
2 Tbs. finely minced red onion
1/4 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbs. aged balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 lb. fresh mozzarella cheese

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Brush a baking sheet with olive oil and arrange the baguette slices on the sheet in a single layer. Brush the tops with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until crisp and golden, 15 to 18 minutes. If not using immediately, let the crostini cool, then store in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to use.

Core, seed and dice the tomatoes. In a bowl, stir together the tomatoes, half of the basil, the onion, garlic, vinegar, the 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and pepper.

Slice the mozzarella into 1/4-inch-thick pieces or into smaller pieces so they fit on the crostini. To assemble, lay a piece of mozzarella on each crostini and spoon 1 to 2 Tbs. of the tomato salad on top. Garnish each with a pinch of the remaining basil. Serve immediately.

Serves 8.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

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Tags: balsamic vinegar, basil, bruschetta, crostini, fresh mozzarella, garlic, olive oil, red onion, tomato

This hoagie “dip” is not a dip at all. In fact, I refer to it as a deconstructed hoagie because it’s got all the hoagie makings chopped into small pieces that you spoon on top of bread (like a bruschetta topping). It’s very easy to make and people love it!

This recipe is great for improvising (adding or subtracting ingredients to your liking). For the meat, I usually just use salami and deli turkey; the other deli meats would be great in it, too, but I decided to simply the recipe. Other changes I made include: using less onion than called for (about a 1/4 red onion instead of a whole onion); adding chopped red bell pepper and olives (black or kalamata) for color, texture and flavor; substituting Italian dressing for the olive oil for extra tanginess; and serving with baguette slices instead of hoagie pieces.

The recipe calls for chopping everything into bite-sized pieces but I dice everything smaller than that. If you want to save a few bucks, skip making the bread bowl and served the “dip” in a regular bowl. Be sure to put a serving spoon in the ”dip” so that people know to spoon it onto the pieces of bread. Now stand back and watch your friends devour it!

Mary Alice’s Hoagie Dip
-Recipe courtesy Mary Alice Yeskey for Food Network Magazine

8 servings.

1 medium onion
2 pickled pepperoncini peppers
1/2 head iceberg lettuce
1 large tomato, halved and seeded
1/4 pound deli-sliced Genoa salami
1/4 pound deli-sliced ham
1/4 pound deli-sliced prosciutto
1/4 pound deli-sliced roast turkey
1/4 pound deli-sliced provolone cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 10-to-12-inch round loaf Italian bread
8 hoagie rolls, cut into pieces, for dipping

Chop the onion, pepperoncini, lettuce and tomato into bite-size pieces. Dice the meats and cheese.

Combine the chopped vegetables, meats and cheese in a large bowl. Add the mayonnaise, olive oil, oregano, basil and red pepper flakes and stir until everything is all mixed up and tasty. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Carve out the center of the bread loaf to make a bowl (don’t cut through the bottom) and cut the scraps into bite-size pieces. Serve the hoagie dip in the bread bowl, with the extra bread and hoagie rolls to scoop it up. Yummers!

Tags: Appetizer, bruschetta, deli turkey, hoagie dip, provolone, salami