I’m on a roll.
I’ve been experimenting with some bruschetta recipes. It doesn’t always have to be tomatoes, fresh mozarella cheese, and basil.
I made a “sweet’ version for hubby and I last night, using strawberries, ricotta cheese, a vanilla-sugar sprinkle, and a type of Crostini.
I hope you have an Aldi’s nearby because that’s where I bought this strawberry vinaigrette glaze. I’ve also used it with blueberries (same recipe as above) instead of strawberries. It is delicious. The only problem is much of their products are not always available. They’re like “specials” and might be available for a month or so and never again.
I’m planning on buying some for Christmas presents. I like it that much.
(I wrote this last Friday. Saturday, I went to the grocery store to buy some more and wouldn’t you know it , it’s gone. According to the clerk who checked us out, it’s considered a “special”. Oh, they are getting more but it will be next summer. So much for that. I knew I should’ve bought a couple of extra bottles. I can’t tell you how often this has happened to me at this store. Will I never learn?)
Anyway, here’s the products I used. That’s a container of lite Ricotta Cheese under this bottle. I just found Penzey’s spice store a couple of weeks ago. What a great store.
and this is how it looks.
Recipe
Ingredients:
Strawberries
Ricotta Cheese
Vanilla sugar (could substitute a plain sugar or mix a little vanilla and sugar together and stir in the cheese.
Hard toast or crackers
Vinaigrette: any kind will taste great . Use a darker balsamic vinegar. The darker the balsamic, the better it is.
Instructions:
- Spread about one Tablespoon Ricotta Cheese over the toast. (If you can’t find a crusty toast, you can use french bread and bake until it gets a little dried out and crusty.)
- Sprinkle a little vanilla sugar over top.
- Place halved strawberries on top.
- Finish with a stripe or two of the glaze. If you can’t find a glaze such as the one I used, any sweetened vinaigrette can be used.
Eat!!!
We have a wonderful store in my town that sells speciality olive oils, vinagrettes, and cheeses. Here’s the interesting background about this business. It’s called The Cheese Lady.
I can remember years ago going to the farmer’s market and buying from her stall. Everybody referred to her as “The Cheese Lady”. So the name stuck. About five years ago or so, she opened a store, aptly called, The Cheese Lady. While the store sells cheese, it also sells specialty olive oils and vinaigrettes.
The store was an instant success.
Two years ago she franchised the business. What is great about this story is that she was not a young woman when she starting selling her chesse at the Farmer’s Market. She gained her success later in life and I think that’s really neat.
My husband and I went there Saturday after our trip to the Farmer’s Market where I bought my all-natural wildflower honey. It’s the only honey I use. Hey, maybe I’ll try that on my bruschetta next time. I bought some Strawberry vinaigrette. Maybe I’ll combine the two.
Here’s are my beautiful vinaigrettes. What a difference a good vinaigrette makes. I learned that from The Cheese Lady.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed your week-end. Can’t wait to tell you about my kayaking and how God helped me overcome another fear.
God bless and have a great day.
