636. Watermelon Bruschetta

Antipasti

         Italian meals are usually served with a starter. Starters or antipasti (singular antipasto) usually consist of cured meat, pickled vegetables, mushrooms, cheeses, olives, peperocini, pickled meats etc. These are suppose to be colourful, attractive and usually should be able to change the mood of  people or gathering who will dine together. Anti means before and pastus means meal. Therefore its the starter or appetizer. Antipasti is usually served in individual plates or as bite size where diners pick it and enjoy it. It can be cold or warm or hot.
         
       There is much confusion between the crostini and the bruschetta. Crostini are usually made from small bread slices like an Italian baguette.The bread is toasted and the topping are more rich. 
       
       Bruschetta is usually served on more rustic Italian bread slices that are slightly bigger. The bread slices are usually roasted over coal. The word bruschetta comes from the Italian word bruscare...which means to roast over coal. The slices are usually rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil. Originally it was served with olive oil drizzled on it. Nowadays a variety of topping are used to make bruschetta.
        
        Nowadays there's not much difference between the two especially when you're not able to roast a bread over coal. Bruschetta are prepared with whichever bread is available. I baked an Italian baguette at home a day before I wanted to make the crostini. After just 20 minutes of  second fermentation, the shaped bread looked a bit fatter and no way was I going to get nice dainty slices. 
        
       As the other ingredients were ready and wine already chilled, I decided to deviate from the norm and made Watermelon Bruschetta. #FoodieMonday #Bloghop group decided that  #watermelon will be our 88th theme. My contribution for this theme is the delicious and refreshing Watermelon Bruschetta.

WATERMELON BRUSCHETTA
Makes 8-10 pieces

8-10 slices of bread preferably a baguette or any other rustic bread
4-5 cloves of garlic
4-6 tbsp olive oil
1½ cups watermelon chopped into small cubes
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
½ cup thick plain yogurt
½ cup coarse pepper powder
8-10 black olives, sliced
2 tbsp balsamic syrup
2-3 tbsp chopped spring onion
10-12 mint leaves chopped

1. Mix crumbled feta and yogurt together to get a smooth paste.Add pepper powder and mix well.
2. Smear olive oil over the slices on both sides.
3. Toast them lightly in a pan over medium heat.
4. Rub garlic over the toasted slices.
5. Spread some feta cheese mixture over the slices.
6. Top the slices with watermelon, olives, spring onion and mint.
7. Drizzle some balsamic syrup over the topping and serve.

Tips:

• I did not add any salt as both the feta and bottled olives are salty.
• You can toast the slices over a BBQ grill.
• Use ricotta cheese instead of Feta if your prefer.

You may want to check out other starter recipes:

bruschetta

baked breaded mushrooms

mashed avocado and tomato bruschetta

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