Bruschetta with Fig Jam and Goat Cheese

This version is toasted (I like my toast very dark)

I love bruschetta and I love the endless possibilities for creating these yummy bite-sized appetizers. This version uses the fig jam recipe, goat cheese, a baguette and some olive oil. In fact, I liked this so much that the day after we served this to friends, I had it for dinner too. It’s that good.

Ingredients

• Fig jam
• Goat cheese
• Baguette, sliced diagonally (my slices were about a half inch wide)
• Olive oil

Directions

• Heat the oil in a large skillet on the stove, and sauté the bread to desired doneness or
• Brush each side with olive oil and broil lightly
• Top with some goat cheese and fig jam
• Enjoy!

Fig Jam

I like having some sort of appetizer when we have friends over for dinner. The best kinds are the ones that aren’t too heavy or messy, or require a fork to eat. Last night, I thought that bruschetta with goat cheese with some sort of savory jam would be perfect. This fig jam is what I made—it’s a simple recipe and the only complicated requirement (if you want to call it complicated) is that you puree the jam in a food processor at the end. I guess you could use a blender if that’s what you have on hand, or a Vitamix. But the jam does need to be pureed somehow.

Ingredients

• Six ounces dried figs
• 1 C sugar
• 1 C water
• Juice from one lemon
• ½ t vanilla extract

Directions

• In a saucepan, combine the sugar, water and lemon juice
• Remove the stems from the figs, dice them, place in the saucepan and stir well
• Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about seven or eight minutes, until the liquid thickens slightly
• Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract
• Let cool for about 10 minutes
• Transfer jam to a food processor and puree until smooth
• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to a week
• Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Soup

In my ongoing quest to have more than one favorite soup for my work lunches, I looked around for another butternut squash soup. I have a couple of requirements for my lunches: they need to be mostly vegetables, full of flavor, and stick with me through the rest of the work day. I found this recipe and asked Kent to make it up this weekend. It's a big hit, especially the chickpeas on top. And it's a slow cooker recipe. Although we usually use dried beans rather than canned, in this case the canned chickpeas were cheaper than dried. Isn't that odd?

The chickpeas stayed crispy when stored in a covered container; don't combine them in the soup ahead of time. You'll miss out on a great texture combination.S

Soup ingredients

• 2 small butternut squash (about four pounds), peeled, seeds and fibers removed, and diced (about an inch cube)
• 4 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 4 C chicken or vegetable broth 
• 1 T ground cumin

Chickpeas

• 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 t ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 t smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Soup

1. Place the squash, bell pepper, carrots, and onion in a large slow cooker. 
2. Add the broth and cumin.
3. Cover and cook on high until the vegetables are soft and beginning to dissolve into the liquid (for us, it took about six hours). 
4. While the soup cooks, follow the directions below for the chickpeas.
5. When the vegetables are soft, use an immersion blender to puree the soup until mostly smooth (leave it lumpier if you prefer it that way).
6. Top with the chickpeas and serve immediately.
7. Enjoy!

Chickpeas

1. Place the drained chickpeas in a colander and let sit for about an hour.
2. Line a baking sheet with a double layer of paper towels and place the chickpeas on the paper towel for about another hour.
3. An hour before the soup is done, preheat the oven to 400°F. 
4. Place the chickpeas in a bowl and drizzle with the olive oil.
5. Add spices and shake until the chickpeas are evenly coated.
6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the chickpeas in a single layer on the parchment paper.
7. Place the pan in the oven and bake until the chickpeas are crispy, about 40 to 50 minutes. Shake the baking sheet every 10 minutes to ensure even baking.
8. Remove from the oven when done.

Chickpeas after baking