You won't mind, dear reader, that I actually cleaned out the fridge on Tuesday instead of Friday?  It's a great habit I've tried to start, but yesterday I found 2 halves of baguettes, strawberries, 1/2 tub of cream cheese, English peas, marinated tomatoes, basil, parmesan cheese...This sounds like a bruschetta feast to me, just in time for my staff working lunch!

Marinated Tomato Bruschetta
See earlier blog posting on marinated tomatoes.

Strawberry Bruschetta
Ingredients:
4 thick slices bread
6 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 cups sliced or diced hulled strawberries
4 tablespoons mascarpone, (Italian cream cheese)  I used cream cheese

Instructions:
Prepare the toasted bread.  Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over high heat. Add sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice and cook, stirring, until the sugar melts and the mixture begins to bubble, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add strawberries and stir until juices begin to exude and the berries are heated through, 30 seconds to 1 minute more.  Spread 1 tablespoon mascarpone on each piece of toast. Top with the warm berries.

Pea and Parmesan Bruschetta
Ingredients:
6 slices of baguette bread
1 garlic clove
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas, thawed
Kosher salt
1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
Shaved Parmesan
Torn mint
A few drops of balsamic vinegar

Instructions:
Grill bread and rub with garlic clove.   Blanch peas in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, about 2 minutes for fresh peas and 1 minute for frozen.  Drain peas; transfer to a bowl.  Season with kosher salt and extra-virgin olive oil and mash with the back of a fork.  Spread about 1 tablespoon mixture over each toast. Garnish with shaved Parmesan, torn mint, and a few drops of balsamic vinegar.
  

Oh, how I love our local farmer’s market, and in season right now are all colors of small tomatoes. 

Bruschetta is one of my favorite ways to use marinated tomatoes.  Marinated tomato recipe below.