Fresh-From-the-Garden Bruschetta

Y'all... am I turning into a... FOOD blogger? Yikes, never thought that would be something I did. I have always enjoyed being in the kitchen, but it has turned into something I love even more these days. An expression of creativity, maybe!

After a relatively cool spring, my garden is enjoying the warmer days we're having and has become much more productive! I've been regularly picking a squash and zucchini or two each week, but they're coming in thicker and my tomato plants are loaded with green ones that are working on turning! I also have a pepper plant that has its first baby banana pepper and a basil plant that I honestly didn't know what to do with... I just bought it because I wanted herbs and it smelled good.

Then I saw someone on an Instagram story making bruschetta and it hit me that that's exactly what I could do to put that basil and a couple of cherry tomatoes to good use!

I'm a pretty simple person, although I do enjoy nice things, so this isn't your traditional bruschetta. Italians would probably frown upon it. But that's okay because it is dang good. 

Cream cheese makes everything better and this is incredibly simple to throw together. It makes a great appetizer or a meal in and of itself, especially when your farmer comes in late after being out in the heat and doesn't want anything too heavy. I would love to have fancy, thick, beautiful balsamic, but I just have regular old grocery store stuff (it does say it's imported from Italy, so that's something 😂). 

Fresh-From-the-Garden Bruschetta Printable Recipe INGREDIENTS Cherry tomatoes Cream cheese Fresh basil Balsamic vinegar Baguette, sliced Salt DIRECTIONS Toast your baguette slices until golden brown Spread a thin layer of cream cheese Slice cherry tomatoes in half and place 2-3 halves on each piece of toast Stack basil leaves on top of each other and roll "hot dog style" (think back to kindergarten, y'all); thinly slice to make pretty curly shreds of basil; sprinkle on top of bruschetta Drizzle with balsamic Add a small pinch of salt to finish NOTES If you have plain-Jane balsamic, you could reduce it into a glaze if you want it thicker. Just add it to a saucepan and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Stir occasionally until it reduces by half and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.  I use (American) Neufchatel cheese for less fat—tastes exactly the same!