Are you overwhelmed by summer’s bounty of vegetables?
If you are like me, you have more basil and tomatoes than you know what to prepare. Here is an easy recipe to enjoy!
Tomato, Basil and Brie Baked Bread Bowl
1 loaf unsliced bread, round or rectangular
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground pepper
8-ounces Brie
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh basil
Aged Balsamic Vinegar for drizzling
Heat grill or oven to 350 degrees/medium heat.
Slice top off bread and set aside. Carefully cut into loaf an inch from the edge all around. Scoop out bread center, creating a bowl, and cut center into squares small enough to be bite-sized. Cut the bread lid into little cubes and set aside.
In a small bowl, mix together garlic, oil and pepper. Brush 2/3 of this mixture on bottom of bread bowl and walls. Place Brie inside the bowl and brush top with remaining oil mixture.
Place bread in a cast iron skillet and place on hot grill for 30 minutes/until cheese melts. After 25 minutes, place cubes of bread directly on grill and toast. Remove cubes and place on platter. Remove bread bowl and serve on platter with cubes of bread . Spoon tomatoes over Brie and scatter basil over tomatoes. Drizzle balsamic over tomatoes and basil. Enjoy using the bread cubes as dippers into the cheese. Use a cheese knife to help scoop the brie, tomatoes and basil onto the cubes. MMMMMM!
So back to this gardening thing….I’ve never been much of a gardener of anything other than perennials. After that it is survival of the fittest. Rhubarb and raspberries fall into this category when we talk about food. But this year I really branched out and decided to grow tomatoes and basil. Whoa! This required some planning. The first obstacle for me was figuring out where to plant these things since our 2.5 year old Samoyed “puppy” Yeti has his own ideas about landscaping. Yeah, this food garden wasn’t happening in the fenced backyard if it were to succeed. SO! One of my former huge flower pots sits proudly by the front door with three basil and three tomato plants in it, totally Yeti-proof. We have had quite the harvest and continue to enjoy it daily. Give this bread bowl a try and you will love the ease and flavors. Enjoy! And, as always, use my recipes as a guide and improvise and keep them eclectic!
Barbara
