Caprese Bruschetta on Melba Toast

Post in collaboration with Iceland Foods

Italian flavours come to the fore in a quick and easy recipe that works equally well as a Summer breakfast, brunch or appetiser. Caprese Bruschetta combines Mozzarella, Tomatoes and Basil atop crunchy Five Grain & Seed Melba Toast drizzled with Balsamic. Bellissimo!

Buongiorno! That's how they say Good Morning in Italy and as I'm just back from a fantastic fortnight's family holiday in Lake Garda it's an appropriate way to start this post. Particularly as I'm sharing an Italian inspired recipe which is perfect to kickstart your morning. When it comes to breaking my fast I'm all about the carbs. Give me bread and LOTS of it! I've been working with the guys at Iceland foods for over 18 months now helping to bust some myths about frozen foods and showcasing the range of products they stock. Like me you might have been under the misconception that they only sold frozen food. Wrong! There's also a great selection of chilled, fresh and store cupboard staples on offer including their own brand Luxury range of bread, cakes and morning goods.

There is nothing quite as comforting or appetising as freshly baked bread, with the scent being voted one of the UK’s favourites. Iceland have recently relaunched their range of Luxury bakery products which are all made using traditional methods at a family run bakery and delivered instore fresh every day. Crafted using the highest quality ingredients by skilled bakers these new luxury breads have been created using a slow dough method to give rich and intense flavours. During this process, the ingredients can ferment for up to 16 hours, the greater flavours are worth the wait. I headed down to my nearest Iceland Food store at Aberdeen Beach Retail park to check out the revamped bakery offering. A poster in the window advertising the new range told me that 'Great Taste Takes Time'. Admittedly I'd left it rather late in the day to shop and the shelves were somewhat depleted - the early bird catches the loaf - but I still managed to pick up a great selection of products. Croissants, Cheese Topped Rolls, Five Grain and Seed Rolls, Plain Folded Flatbreads, Brioche Rolls, Soft White Bread Rolls and the very last Five Grain and Seed Batch Loaf. Now it was time to get creative and come up with a bread based brunch recipe. 

With the sunshine and flavours of Italy still fresh in my mind I wanted to do something with an Italian twist. During our fortnight in Lake Garda we had eaten a lot of Pizza and Pasta but I discounted them in favour of something more simple yet equally Italian. Tomato and Mozzarella. The two really are a match made in heaven. Combine them with Basil and you have Caprese. Add some bread into the mixture and you have Bruschetta. Yup I'm basically sharing the recipe for the Italian flag on toast! Usually served as an appetiser, the combination of these two Italian classics works really well as a lazy brunch dish for Saturdays, Sundays and Summer Holidays. Week three of the school holidays here and my kids have yet to surface at a time which their first meal of the day could legitimately be called breakfast! I absolutely love Melba Toast but don't make it nearly often enough. Up until now I've always used the cheapest of the cheap white loaf however having now used slices of the Five Grain & Seed Batch Loaf there's no going back. It was just so good. The texture from the crispy grains and seeds - rye, spelt and wheat grains, sunflower seeds, brown and golden linseed - make awesome toast, melba or regular. Combined with the fresh delicate flavour of Mozzarella and the sweetness of vine ripened tomatoes you'll have a truly Bellissimo Italian inspired brunch.

Warning! You may wish to go easy on (or omit) the garlic at breakfast time. When I made this for myself and my son I was a wee bit heavy handed. Suffice to say we kept the vampires at bay all day!

Caprese Bruschetta on Melba Toast

Serves 2

3 slices of Iceland Luxury Five Grain & Seed Batch Loaf

150g Fresh Mozzarella

4 Vine Ripened Cherry Tomatoes

Fresh Basil

Balsamic Vinegar

Black Pepper

Olive Oil

Clove of Garlic

Preheat your grill and toast the bread on each side.

Use a serrated knife to cut off the crusts and carefully slice horizontally through the toast to give two thin slices. 

Cut each slice diagonally in half then toast the uncooked side of the triangles until crispy 

They will curl up a little at the edges but this is normal.

Meanwhile slice the Mozzarella cheese and the tomatoes.

Drizzle each slice of melba toast with oilve oil. Cut a garlic clove in half and rub the cut side onto the top of each.

Top each toast triangle with a slice of Mozzarella, a Basil leaf and a slice of Tomato.

Serve with freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

For further breakfast and brunch inspiration using Luxury Bakery products from Iceland Foods do check out the following recipes from my blogging BFF's.

• Diana at Little Sunny Kitchen used Luxury Sourdough White Batch Loaf to create French Toast S'mores
• Bintu at Recipe's from a Pantry made a Baharat Marinated Chickpea Sandwich with the Luxury Five Grain & Seed Batch Loaf
• Janie at The Hedgecombers used Luxury Sourdough Crumpets to make a Breakfast Crumpet Burger
• Kate at Veggie Desserts served up Beetroot Hummus and Avocado Roses on Luxury Sourdough White Batch Loaf 

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Disclosure: This is a commissioned post for Iceland Foods. As always, all views expressed are my own.

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