Super-Simple Roasted Nectarine Bruschetta


I made these little bruschetta to kick off a pre-Christmas dinner party; and then time slipped by and by and by, as it does. Particularly at this time of year. And I wasn't happy with the photos. So the recipe sat, unposted. But here I am in Phoenix, thinking back to these delectable little toasts and wishing it was stonefruit season here. So here goes.
 Christmas is peach and plum and nectarine season in Australia, so if you're in the northern half of the world (as I am, currently) you may have to wait till next summer to try this. Till then, consider it a dash of sunshine from the land Down Under.

Nectarines (or peaches) juxtaposed with sweet onions and rosemary is unusual combination of flavours that works amazingly well. In fact, if you haven't tried grilling or roasting fruit, I'd put that on my list of to-do's for 2012 (along with granita, yogurt, and choc-avocado smoothies). 

Yes, I used this recipe for a dinner party, but we often have dinners comprised of crusty bread (or crackers) and dips. This would suit casual dippy dinners perfectly.

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Roasted Nectarine Bruschetta
makes 6-8 

The time
10 min prep + 30 min cooking

The ingredients
3 nectarines or peaches, cut into cheeks
2 minced onions
3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp minced fresh rosemary
1/2 of a nice baguette, preferably sourdough ('cos it tastes better)

+sea salt, to taste

*As always, try to use organic ingredients when you can. And plant yourself some rosemary - it's so easy to grow and you never need too much at a time. Best to run outside and clip it off!

The process
1. Heat your oil and onions in a frying pan over medium heat, stirring constantly for the first couple of minutes. You want to start them cooking down, but you want to avoid having them brown at this early stage. After 2-3 minutes, turn the heat down to low and let the onions cook on their own (stirring occasionally) till they're soft and sweet, ~20 minutes or more. Add 1 tsp of water at a time, if they start to dry out.

NOTE: The longer you cook your onions, the sweeter they'll be - it's up to you. An hour = very sweet; 20 minutes = still lovely, if you're in a hurry. You'll notice the onions in my photos aren't fully caramelised - I figured keeping a little bit would contrast nicely with the fruit, and I ran out of time on the day.

2. While your onions are cooking away, grill or broil your nectarine cheeks till the skin starts to char (but the flesh should be soft). Grill marks look pretty, but you'll be chopping the nectarines up so don't worry too much. Turn them as necessary. When they're ready, pull them out of the heat and set aside to cool. When cool, chop them and mix with the onion.

3. Slice your baguette into 1" (2.5cm) thick slices and toast both sides. You can use a toaster oven, oven or frying pan for this. Try to time it so they're done just before you serve.

4. Top each slice with a hefty spoonful of nectarine/onion mix, sprinkle with rosemary and sea salt, to taste.

Serve! Ideally with wine, of course. A bubbly, perhaps?



The cost
My bruschetta cost me ~$5, using organic ingredients.

Enjoy!
Amanda xx

Comments

  1. Are u in Phoenix, Arizona ? If Yes .... U Have to go to Singh Farms ....open every Sat from 9 - 1 pm .
    LOVE ur blog ... Always wait for ur nxt :-))

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love this idea of a fruit based bruschetta! First one I've come across and it looks wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks c for the recommendation! Haven't been and it looks fabulous! Heres the link for any other interested Phoenix visitors ... http://www.yelp.com/biz/singh-farms-scottsdale

    Will let you know how it goes :)

    Thanks Paula - I hope you enjoy it! xx

    ReplyDelete
  4. Never thought of using fruits in a bruschetta! Looks great :)

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  5. I loved the sound of this recipe, but didn't have enough nectarines... so I made it with peach and plum as well as the nectarines. Served with a nice blue cheese and a chilled white wine. Doesn't get much better! Delicious recipe and a great blog. Thank you! :)

    ReplyDelete

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Thanks for commenting! Amandaxx