Fall Bruschetta

I recently discovered a great local website about food, called CT Bites. It's been around for awhile, but somehow it took me way too long to find it. Now that I have, I've been checking it out daily...finding tons of tips & great food finds in my area...Fairfield County, CT. Recently, they had a post with some recipes from Nicole Straight, a chef, who runs cooking classes around these parts.
One of the recipes was for this Fall Bruschetta, which I immediately knew I wanted to try. I ended up making it for some friends who came by after our Pumpkin Picking afternoon last week. I especially loved that everything could be made ahead of time...something that has become a requirement in my super busy weekend schedule...which, sometimes includes jamming 4-6 hockey games into 2 days.
I adapted a couple of things...mainly, just adding measurements to some of the ingredients. I also added some ricotta cheese as a base to the bruschetta, partly to make it a bit more hardy...but, also because I thought it would taste really good with it.

Begin, by slicing a baguette into 1/2" slices. Arrange the slices on a baking sheet, drizzle them with olive oil & bake them in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned...flipping halfway through. {Note: I used a skinny loaf of Italian bread...it worked great}

Next, quarter & thinly slice an onion.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a non-stick skillet & add the onions. Along, with a 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar & 2 tablespoons of agave nectar. Cook until the onions are softened & all the liquid is absorbed. Set aside.

Next, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a mixing bowl, toss together 3 cups of cubed butternut squash, 1 1/2 cups of finely diced eggplant {unpeeled},

1 cup of finely diced apple {unpeeled},

1 tablespoon olive oil & 1 teaspoon of paprika. Season with salt & pepper. Spread the mixture out on a baking sheet & bake for 20-25 minutes, tossing halfway through the cooking time, until the squash is just tender.

Transfer to a mixing bowl & add the onions. Toss well. Check for seasoning & add a bit more salt & pepper, if needed.

To assemble you will need about 1 cup of ricotta cheese.

Spread a bit of the ricotta over each toast, then spoon some of the bruschetta on top. Transfer to a serving platter & serve.

Fall Bruschetta

Adapted from Nicole Straight, via CT Bites
Serves 8, as an appetizer

1 baguette
1 medium onion
2 tablespoons olive oil {divided}, plus more for toasts
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons agave nectar
3 cups peeled & cubed butternut squash
1 1/2 cups finely diced eggplant {unpeeled}
1 cup finely diced apple {unpeeled}
kosher salt & freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 cup ricotta cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the baguette into 1/2" slices & lay them out on a baking sheet. You can use more than one baking sheet, or make these in batches. Drizzle the bread slices with some olive oil & bake for about 5 minutes per side, or until lightly browned. Set aside.
Quarter & thinly slice the onion. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a non-stick skillet. Add the onions, balsamic vinegar & agave. Cook until the onions are softened & all the liquid is absorbed. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a mixing bowl, toss the butternut squash, eggplant, apple, 1 tablespoon olive oil & paprika. Season with salt & pepper. Spread the mixture out on a baking sheet & bake for 20-25 minutes, tossing halfway through the cooking time, until the squash is just tender.
Transfer to a mixing bowl & add the onions. Toss well. Check for seasoning & add a bit more salt & pepper, if needed.
To assemble, spread a bit of ricotta cheese over each toast, then spoon some of the bruschetta on top. Transfer to a serving platter & serve.
Note: The bruschetta & toasts can be made ahead of time, stored in separate air tight containers, for up to 2 days.
Click here for the printable recipe.