Simple and seasonal is the Tuscan way — a culinary lifestyle we can relate to over here in forever sunny California. With dishes as fresh and feel-good as the ones from kitchen queen, Giada De Laurentiis’ new cookbook, Giada’s Italy, it’s no wonder food is such a celebrated piece of Italian culture.
This recipe for a kale-coated bruschetta is as summer-ready as they come, made with just a few seasonal ingredients you can scoop up from the farmers market. Serve outdoors with a chilly glass of vino…
My California side comes through loud and clear in this dish that I came up with in Florence. It’s full of Tuscan flavors and healthy greens for the best of both worlds. The kale salsa is similar to a pesto but looser, so the bread softens as it absorbs the salsa. Topped with silky burrata, it’s perfect with a glass of wine.
Bruschetta with Burrata and Kale Salsa Verde
Serves 6
Ingredients:
For the salsa:
1 1⁄2 cups chopped Tuscan kale (about 8 large leaves), stems removed
1 garlic clove, smashed and peeled
1⁄4 tsp plus 1⁄8 tsp kosher salt
3 Tbsp capers, drained and rinsed
1 tsp anchovy paste
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
For the bruschetta:
1 loaf ciabatta bread, cut in half horizontally
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1⁄2 lb fresh burrata or mozzarella cheese (about 2 medium balls)
8 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
3 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted
Directions:
For the salsa:
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the kale and garlic until coarsely chopped. Add the salt, capers, anchovy paste, mustard, and vinegar, and pulse once or twice more.
Add the olive oil and process for 5 seconds. Set aside to let the flavors marry.
For the bruschetta:
Preheat a grill pan over high heat.
Drizzle both halves of the bread evenly with the olive oil. Grill for about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and charred in a few spots. Remove the bread to a cutting board. Spoon the salsa verde evenly over each bread half. Tear the burrata over the salsa verde and scatter the tomatoes and pine nuts evenly over everything. Cut the bread halves into slices and serve.
Reprinted from Giada’s Italy. Copyright © 2018 by GDL Foods Inc. Photographs by Aubrie Pick. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.
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