kim's skewers and parm toasts

Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon

or not at all. ~Harriet van Horne

My friend Kim shared this recipe with me, so I shared it with my hubby over some pinot grigio. These takes a bit of fiddling, but they're worth it. When you're making the crisps, be sure to not get distracted because your mean oven will try to burn them if you're not careful.

skewers
grape tomatoes, marinated
kalamata olives, cut in half, length-wise
fresh basil, smallish leaves
boccaccini, marinated
olive oil & balsamic vinegar

Marinate the grape tomatoes in a little balsamic and olive oil for a couple hours. Marinate the boccaccini as well, but in a mix of olive oil, chopped basil, a little freshly ground black pepper, and a swig of balsamic vinegar.

To assemble, take a toothpick and start with a tomato. Add a basil leaf, then the boccaccini, then half of a kalamata olive (facing in, if you want to be "lana" about it). Serve with parmesan crisps.

parmesan crisps
part of a loaf of italian white bread
lots of freshly grated parmesan
olive oil

To prepare the bread -- first, cut into thinnish (1/2-in) slices, then use a small cookie cutter to remove the crust while creating fun bready shapes. I would recommend staying away from stars or something with appendages because the ends will be crispier and browner than the rest of the piece.

Preheat oven to 350°. Put the bread on a cookie sheet in a single layer and brush one side with olive oil. Toast in oven for a few mins, until starting to lightly toast. Remove from the oven, turn all the breads over, and brush the opposite side with olive oil. Toast in the oven for a few mins. Remove from the oven and sprinkle each piece with parmesan (be generous to the edges!). Toast until parm melts and is beginning to bubble. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before turning over each piece to sprinkle cheese on the other side. Toast again, until the parmesan melts and is toasty. Serve warm or at room temperature.