An old Italian proverb says: “Day-old bread, month-old oil, and year-old wine”. Although the speaker and context of the proverb are unknown, I am fairly certain they were eating bruschetta at the time. Bruschetta is a rustic dish, exuding the perfect balance of acidity, salinity, and herbaceousness.

From the verb “bruscare” (or “to toast”), bruschetta dates back to the Etruscan age, when farmers occupying the land between Rome and Tuscany began brushing bread with olive oil and garlic then baking it in the oven. The dish has since evolved with the addition of toppings such as meats, vegetables and all kinds of cheeses. Despite the endless variations, the basic concept of a bruschetta remains the same – simple, fresh, and flavorful ingredients.

The bruschetta recipe below was given to me by my friend Alyssa of Alyssa Cooks Catering. It is quick and easy, and when paired with a glass of wine, is the perfect way to start any evening.

There are probably 100 reasons to love or hate Gordon Ramsay. He’s relentless, foul-mouthed, demands perfection and is not afraid to unleash his vicious temper on anyone around him.  He is also a philanthropist, an incredible businessman, a huge proponent of responsible farming and animal husbandry (if you’ve never watched his documentary “Shark Bait”, you should). Most notably, he’s a seven-starred Michelin chef.

On any given weeknight, my go-to meal is a stir-fry.  There was a point when we were always buying dry mixes to make our stir-fry, you know those little packets that you find down the international aisle that you add just add soy sauce and water to?  That is until we forgot to pick a packet up one night and I was forced to be resourceful.  Let me tell you, we were not disappointed with outcome.  In fact, we have never gone back to those little packets.