Portobello Mushroom Bruschetta and Rustic Pan Fried Potatoes

Tomato Bruschetta and Caprese are two of my most favorite things in the world. There's just something about that balsamic and tomato combo that sets my taste buds on fire. The juiciness of the fruit, sweet undertones in the flesh, and then tartness of the balsamic blends indescribably well. Really, it's such a simple pleasure that packs an unbelievable punch. Bruschetta is one of those things that varies greatly between recipes. Meat or vegetarian, cheese or dairy free, crusty or soft bread, Balsamic Vinegar or reduction...the neat thing about bruschetta is that the sky is the limit in creativity.

I started experimenting with my own by creating a finely chopped caprese. Which was okay - but I felt it was lacking. I mean, if I wanted a caprese, I was going to make a caprese. To balance the bread I wanted a depth of flavor that I wasn't quite getting with the relatively bland mozzarella. I thought I had it licked when I discovered balsamic reduction in a restaurant - but that was a very difficult thing to replicate. I was about ready to give up on making the perfect bruschetta, aside from my Mexican Variety.

During our Portland trip, I managed to pick up a mortar and pestle at a cooking store. I'd wanted one for so long, and I was just dying to try it out. One Sunday after we came back home, I was faced with fresh tomatoes, basil, and an idea. What if I were to crush some spices in the mortar and pestle, make a sort of paste, and then form that into a dressing? My Bruschetta was born.
The neat thing about this recipe and method is that you get an even dispersement of garlic/onion/balsamic/salt in every bite. You pound the flavors into submission so every taste is balanced. The vinegar soaks into the garlic, and the olive oil coats throughout - so you don't get that oil/vinegar division you sometimes see in a caprese. The mushrooms add a heaviness to the dish that leaves you feeling completely satisfied - this is a suitable meal and a wonderful appetizer.

Portobello Mushroom Bruschetta for 2-3 (or a really hungry tomato loving one):
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 Tablespoon chopped yellow onion.
1 Tablespoon fresh basil (or I cheated and used this, and it was surprisingly WONDERFUL! In the ingredients, it lists basil, marjoram, parsley, oregano, and thyme as the herbs included)
1 teaspoon of salt (you can add more at the end if you need more).
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons good balsamic vinegar
5 small (vine ripened) tomatoes
3 portobello mushroom caps.

In the oven, bake the mushroom caps at 350 until soft. If desired, sprinkle olive oil and a pinch of salt over the top before baking. Be careful to use a baking dish with sides, as the mushrooms will release water and that will make a smoky mess! My alarm company was not impressed.

Take mushrooms out and set aside.

In mortar and pestle, crush the garlic and onion together. Add salt and blend/smoosh. Add basil. Continue blending and smooshing. That's a technical term. It's also an indie band (the things you learn about on wiki - I was just trying to be a smartie pants.)

When everything is nicely combined, add olive oil, and blend, then add balsamic, and stir/smoosh until everything is well combined. Let sit.

Chop mushrooms into small pieces and place into a separate bowl.

Seed tomatoes and chop, then add to the mushrooms.

Pour mixture out of the mortar and pestle into the mushrooms and tomatoes. TASTE! Add balsamic, salt, and course ground pepper to taste.

Now, the bruschetta was wonderful, but (as a typical woman) - I wanted more.

Rustic Pan Fried Potatoes for 2-3

4-5 Red potatoes
1 small onion
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 teaspoons rubbed sage
course salt and pepper to taste (this puppy takes a lot of salt).
Water as needed.

Dice onions, mince garlic, and chop potatoes.

Place the Olive Oil in a pan set at medium. Toss in onions and garlic and let sizzle for a minute or so.
Add potatoes. Let the potatoes get a nice, pretty, brown color to them.

Add in spices, a dash of water for steam, and cover. Turn down to low.

Let potatoes cook until desired softness. Add more water if vegetables begin to burn and stick undesirably to the bottom.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Optional: a little lemon juice would probably add a nice complexity.

I served this with the 15 Minute French bread, this time made with bread flour instead of all purpose. I liked this better. It was heartier and the loaf held up better. I think I will try this in a loaf pan to see if I can get a good sandwich bread.

One last thing -all of these dishes can be made with significantly less oil for the fat conscious. The bruschetta flavors are most intensely balsamic vinegar and salt - the olive oil just acts to balance it. You could skip part or all, but be aware that there will be very little counteracting the bitterness of the balsamic. Keep this in mind as you add it to the tomatoes. In the potatoes, since you use the water to steam, you could use a little organic spray oil to coat the pan and keep it from sticking. You could also use a non-stick pan and eliminate the need for the oil all together. However, without oil, you won't get the pretty and tasty brown crust on the potatoes. It's a tradeoff, and it depends on how strict your diet is.