Fresh Fava Beans, Tomatoes & Mint Bruschetta

As a small plate, appetizer, side dish or a quick snack, this bruschetta is bright, colorful and packs a tasty punch with fresh spring fava beans, cherry or grape tomatoes, some sprigs of mint and then drizzled with fresh lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil. It’s a meal in itself!

Beautiful and fresh spring fava beans are something to be enjoyed right now. These legumes that were part of the ingredient spotlight on TC are paired with more fresh good-for-you ingredients that are easily attainable during these spring and summer months.

We start off by toasting some slices of a baguette on a grill pan and then rubbing the warm toasts with garlic cloves. I made these last weekend and was overly generous with the garlic…making sure I covered every nook-and-cranny of the toasted breads. While it was absolutely tasty and really added to the flavor combination, Hubbs and I agreed that I went a bit overboard. I felt like Drogon (Game Of Thrones reference) the rest of the evening and was in quite an unsociable fire-breathing dragon state! This time around, care was taken to rub “some” garlic over the toasts without the need to saturate the beautifully caramelized crunchy breads.

When grilling the slices, make sure your grill pan is warm, but not too hot. You want to toast it low and slow to get some of that texture and warm color. If you have a grill pan press, use it. Alternatively, you can also broil the slices in the oven.

The inspiration for these tasty toasts comes from the editors of Martha Stewart Living. I added tomatoes to the bruschetta for an added flavor combination and visual appeal.

The bruschetta comes together quickly by gently tossing and incorporating a fresh squeeze of lemon juice, tomatoes, mint and then drizzling some extra-virgin olive oil. For Hubbs, I added some red pepper flakes and finished it off with some coarse salt (no red pepper flakes for me, thank you!).

These are spring flavors to be enjoyed from gems to be found in an edible garden (lemons, tomatoes, mint).

For as many bruschettas and crostinis we enjoy at home, the difference between the two gets lost in my short-term memory. When I’m making tasty bits on sliced, toasted baguettes, I don’t really think about am I making a bruschetta or crostini? I’m just putting it together and know it’s going to be good. For re-clarification (really for myself), the differences in preparation of bruschetta and crostini:

Bruschetta: From the Italian word bruscare meaning “to roast over coals,” this traditional garlic bread is made by rubbing slices of toasted bread with garlic cloves, then drizzling the bread with extra-virgin olive oil. The bread is salted and peppered, then heated and served warm.

Crostini: Meaning little toasts in Italian, crostini are small, thin slices of toasted bread, which are usually brushed with olive oil. The word also describes canapés consisting of small slices of toast with a savory topping or two.

Enjoy this fresh spring time small plate with a crisp white wine!