beautiful leftover bruschetta

method

The word ‘bruschetta’ comes from the Italian word ‘bruscare’, which basically means to char. As long as you’ve got some raw garlic to rub on the ’pane bruscato’ (toasted bread) and some good olive oil, you can make bruschetta. Anything you put on top after that, from leftover meat, shellfish or even simple anchovies – will be delicious. One of my favourite combos is leftover lamb, fresh mint and a splash of sherry vinegar… come on!

These roasted vegetable bruschetta are delicious and easy. All you have to do is season and dress the leftover roasted veggies carefully to bring them back to life and you’ve got a perfect snack or light lunch. Gennaro has his way, and I have mine!

Gennaro's bruschetta

Pop the bread on a hot griddle pan and toast it on both sides. While that’s happening, use the back of a fork or knife to roughly mash up the vegetables on a wooden board. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle over some extra virgin olive oil and a little splash of balsamic, then mash again. Once your bread has nice char marks on both sides, rub the cut garlic clove all over it for flavour then spoon the mashed vegetables on top. Finely chop the parsley and scatter that on top.

Toss the salad and mint leaves in a bowl with a good pinch of salt, a splash of extra virgin olive oil, a drizzle of balsamic and a squeeze of lemon juice. Put a pinch of the salad leaves on top of the bruschetta then shave over some Parmesan. Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and serve right away with the rest of the salad on the side.

Jamie's bruschetta

Put your slices of bread onto a hot griddle and toast on both sides. Add the fennel to a bowl with the chopped basil leaves and most of the chilli. Squeeze in the lemon juice, add a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper and a few shavings of Parmesan, then toss everything together. Have a quick taste to make sure the seasoning is right and add a bit more lemon juice or salt if needed.

When the bread is nice and charred, rub the cut side of the garlic all over it. Drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil then top with a small handful of your fennel mixture. Tear the mozzarella into quarters and place one on each bruschetta. Top with some thin shavings of Parmesan, a few little sprinkles of chilli and the reserved basil. And just like that you’ve got a lovely lunch.

serves: 4 as a starter, or 2 as a light lunch

ingredients

Gennaro’s bruschetta
• 1 slice of sourdough bread
• 1 piece of leftover roast turnip
• 2 pieces of leftover roast beetroot
• 1 piece of leftover roast parsnip
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• extra virgin olive oil
• balsamic vinegar
• 1 clove of garlic, unpeeled and halved
• 2 sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 handful of mixed salad leaves, washed and spun dry
• 1 sprig of fresh mint, leaves picked
• 1 lemon
• Parmesan cheese

Jamie's bruschetta
• 4 slices of sourdough bread
• 2 bulbs of leftover roasted fennel, roughly sliced
• a few sprigs of fresh basil, leaves picked and chopped, smaller leaves reserved
• 1 fresh red chilli, finely chopped
• juice of 1 lemon
• extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 50g Parmesan cheese
• 1 x 125g ball buffalo mozzarella
• 1 clove of garlic, unpeeled and halved