With summer just around the corner, ML Spell from Dry Spell invited us to play with fire! She challenged us to make some mouthwatering eats on the grill for the June daring cooks challenge.
Well, as you are probably aware, I live in Australia and even though the weather is usually not extremely cold, it is winter at the moment. So, I could not put my barbecue on… yet I still wanted to take part in this month’s challenge. That’s how I thought of a simple dish that can be easily made both on the barbecue and on a griddle pan: bruschetta. Bruschetta (pronounced broosketta) is a classic Italian antipasto, usually served in summer and topped with delicious seasonal ingredients. I made mine with grilled eggplant and I topped it with a classic bruschetta sauce: Matarocco.I have already shared with you the recipe for Matarocco which is a fresh Sicilian sauce made with tomatoes, basil and garlic.
This dish brought me back to Sicily, where we would usually have it before starting to grill our sausage and involtini!
You won’t believe how TASTY this sausage is!
In fact, you should try and pair it with my home-made sausage, which was what I would have loved to make for the challenge, if the weather had been warmer!
The final bruschetta was delicious and I highly recommend you try it at your next barbecue party!
Enjoy!

Bruschetta with Eggplant and Matarocco
Bruschetta with Eggplant and Matarocco - a delicious and easy summer appetiser, perfect for your next barbecue party.
Ingredients
- 4 slices of crusty bread
- 4 slices of eggplant 1 cm – ½ inch thick
- 1 garlic clove
- Salt to taste
- 6 tbsp Matarocco
- Extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
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Start by rubbing the eggplant slices with the garlic, salt and extra virgin olive oil. Keep aside.
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Grill the bread slices on both sides on a hot griddle until nice and crunchy. Keep aside.
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Grill the eggplant slices on both sides on a hot griddle until cooked through.
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Top the bread slices with the grilled eggplant and 1.5 tablespoons of Matarocco per slice.
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Drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Only assemble when ready to serve or the bread will go soggy.
Fresh , simple, Mediterranean , that’s all i seek . Perfect when in season, perfect all summer. Topped with some fresh cheese , even better and ultra young red wine.
Manu, I love when you post using your Sicilian heritage , and I am not even Sicilian , I am originally from Calabria. There is something about Sicilian culinary tradition that is so rich and so happy : colors, ingredients and stories. Grateful for your sharing.
mickb
http://www.coolonsale.com