Ever since i was little, i have preferred to eat like a bird… just a little bit of everything.  Just ask Joe about my peppermint patty eating technique!  I am a big snacker and I love to have little bites of things for dinner.  I am a big fan of tapas-style eating.  So, when Joe and i have leftover rustic bread, i jump at the chance to turn it into crostini or bruschetta.

Crostini Di Firenze Recipe

• 1 clove fresh garlic
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 pinch black pepper
  
• 1/4 pound (frozen!) strawberries
  
• 1 large ripe tomato, diced
  
• 5 fresh mint leaves, chopped

1. Slice the baguette into 1/2-inch slices, discarding the two end slices. Grill the bread over a gas grill or electric grill, or toast the bread in a toaster or conventional oven. Turn to grill or toast both sides, if necessary.
2. Peel and finely mince the garlic. Place the garlic in a small bowl. Add the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Whisk well to blend. Set aside.
3. Rinse the strawberries and drain thoroughly, then remove and discard the leaf caps. Coarsely chop the strawberries (about 1/4-inch pieces) and place, along with the juices, in a small mixing bowl.
4. Core and seed the tomato and finely dice it. Add the tomato and any juices to the strawberries as you chop. Rinse and dry the mint leaves and finely chop them, adding them to the bowl.
5. Just before serving, whisk the oil mixture to recombine and add it to the strawberry mixture. Stir well. Place the toasted (or grilled) bread on a serving platter and spoon 2 heaping teaspoons of the topping over each bread slice. Allow the slices to stand for about 5 minutes so the juices can penetrate the bread, then serve immediately.
6. Each serving has about 75 calories (40 percent from fat), 3 grams fat (0.5 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 1 gram protein, 10 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram dietary fiber and 85 milligrams sodium.

Beef + Caramelized Onion Crostini:

• 1 loaf rustic bread, thinly sliced
• 1 T olive oil
  
• 1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
  
• 1/4 C dry red wine
  
• 2 T red wine vinegar
  
• 1 1/2 T packed light brown sugar
  
• 1 1/2 T honey
  
• 1 piece (24-ounce size) beef tenderloin
• 2 T blue cheese for topping
  

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.
2. Brush the bread slices with the olive oil. Place on a sheet pan and grill until crispy, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, combine the onions, wine, vinegar, brown sugar, and honey. Stir constantly over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, until the sauce is the consistency of marmalade.
4. Grill the beef tenderloin, turning to mark all sides, until medium rare, about 10 to 15 minutes total. Let rest for 10 minutes, then thinly slice the meat. Place a slice of beef on each crostini and top each with a teaspoon of onion marmalade and sprinkle with blue cheese.
   

With the crostini we had truffle and mushroom risotto (packaged truffle risotto to which i added sauteed porcini mushrooms) and a salad.