Let me just warn you, this is going to be a photograph heavy post. Mainly because I took too many of them while working on this recipe and that is mainly because I was happy (read buzzed) while working on this one! This is the beauty of working as a food blogger. You get to meet some of the most amazing people in the food business, you get to try some of the most interesting and (most of the time) delicious flavors and as part of the “job” you sometimes get buzzed while working. This was one such day for me and I am proud of it!
Red wine is my choice of drink on any given day. Night out with the girls, date with the husband or a crazy weekday filled with the deadly “work life balance”, a glass (or two!) of zinfandel, cabernet or Pinot gives me company. So I was intrigued when I was introduced to this “new to me” wine, Le Focaie by Rocca Di Montemassi, grown by the Zonin family in Tuscany.
At first taste I found the flavors to be me more intense and fuller than I am used to but then it slowly grew on me and I started enjoying the same things that caught me off guard initially. I am not used to cooking with wine too much so I was not sure what recipe might go well with the cherry and wild berry notes of this wine so I chose to pair with a food instead of cooking with it. Cold cut meats, moderately aged cheese and bruschetta were some obvious choices that came to mind.
So I developed this bruschetta recipe probably because bruschetta also happens to be my choice of finger food to go with wine. I married a few mild Indian flavors to balance with the punch of La Focaie. You can hold off on the hot cilantro chutney here if you are not accustomed to the heat but I felt the zing of lemon, kick of chili and the after taste of garlic worked well. This is also a great simple recipe for when you entertain. Comes together in minutes and also scales easily.
Let me know what you think!
Ingredients:
Cherry tomato- 1 cup (cut into quarters)
Canned Chickpeas- 1 can, 14oz (drained and run under fresh water)
Olive Oil- 1 teaspoon + extra for the baguette
Shallot (chopped)- 2 tablespoon
Cilantro (chopped)- 1/4 cup
Sweet Pepper (chopped)- 1/2 cup
Fresh Paneer (Recipe Here)- 1/2 cup
Roasted cumin seeds (coarsely ground)- 1/2 teaspoon
Cilantro Chutney (Recipe Here)- 1/2 cup
1 rustic french baguette
Salt and Pepper
Method:
In a large mixing bowl bring together cherry tomato and the rest of the ingredients except for cilantro chutney and baguette. Set aside for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400deg. F.
Slice baguette, half inch thick. Line on a baking sheet. Brush olive oil on the slices. Bake in the oven for 5-8 minutes until lightly toasted. Pull the slices out of the oven.
To serve, place 1 tablespoon of tomato, chickpea salad on baguette, drizzle some hot cilantro chutney on top and serve. This indian inspired bruschetta goes very well with Le Focaie which is a full bodied red wine that has a pleasant notes of of cherries and wild berries.
Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Rocca Di Montemassi. However the recipe and opinion expressed here is solely mine.