Summer Veggie Bruschetta

These bruschetta were the hit of Sunday night's supper and I feel a little guilty since they are really made from leftovers - well, not that guilty.

Friday night I sauteed some leeks and summer squash and fresh tomatoes and canned artichokes and a little white wine, thai basil and a sliced garlic clove. That was the base of a shrimp and scallop spaghetti squash dish that will be in the August-September Gainesville Magazine. I scooped some out before I added the seafood and put it in the refrigerator.

So tonight I cut 9 angled slices from a Vine rosemary baguette, dabbed one side with olive oil and baked them on a rack set in a roasting pan. While they were baking I stirred some crumbled feta and finely sliced oven-dried tomatoes into the leftover veggie mixture.

After the baguette slices were a lightly golden, I took them out, flipped them over and pressed a scoop of the reinvented veggie mixture on top of each. Brushed with a little olive oil and popped back in the over for about 20 minutes they were soon very hot and toasty!

Served with a nice brown ale and eaten on the porch while watching the rain - and no, no leftovers!

What is your breakfast of champions?

Everyone has one go-to breakfast that is guaranteed to start your day off right and get you where you are going! What's yours?

Mine is the soft-boiled egg!

When I was a youngster, I would put those jiggly eggs in a nest of cottage cheese, but now I love to nestle them into a cozy bed of greek yogurt for a delicious breakfast packed with protein and probiotics. A little salt and pepper, plus a tiny drizzle of olive oil, makes it a wonderful start to any day!

Learn your stove so you don't have to stand there waiting for a pot to boil - figure out the time from eggs in cold water to done just right! On our stove, it is 9 minutes, so I can put the eggs in and go get a few things done before the timer calls me back.


I almost cover the eggs with cold water, place the pot on medium heat, set the timer and walk away.

The bowl is prepped and the other ingredients on hand.

No, it isn't always pretty, but it is always tasty!

The final product, just before I devoured it!