Italian Bruschetta
This traditional recipe is very kid-friendly, and can be prepared in only a matter of minutes. If your youngster doesn’t like tomatoes (God forbid!) there are a number of replacements you can try.
INGREDIENTS
- 8 roma tomatoes, diced
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh basil
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 loaf French bread, toasted and sliced
INSTRUCTIONS
Turn on the oven to “Broil” and slice the french bread into individual slices, brush with olive oil. Place the slices on a baking sheet and gently toast for several minutes. Be careful not to burn the bread.
In a small mixing bowl, toss together the tomatoes, basil, Parmesan cheese and garlic. Mix in the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Serve on toasted bread slices.
If your child isn’t that keen on tomatoes, you can dice some butternut squash and roast in the oven with salt and olive oil instead. Or maybe you can cube some avocado and mix with parmesan, salt and pepper. Pesto and parmesan? Mozzarella and chicken? Honestly, you can do whatever makes you happy. Just have fun talking about and exploring all the beauty Italy has to offer.
The Trulli Houses of Puglia, Italy
A trullo house (plural: trulli) in southern Italy is a very unique type of home, specific to the region. The name comes from the Greek word troulos, which means dome or cupola. Indeed, these really cool houses are shaped like domes! They are constructed using either limestone or Tufa stone building materials.