Le Pain Quotidien

On Wednesday I was shopping in Greenwich, CT and I walked by Le Pain Quotidien. I have stopped in one that's in the Meat Packing District in NYC to have a cafe au lait and tart (that was so amazing) so I had to go in. They had beautiful little tarts full of summer fruits, buttery croissants, clouds of meringues and crusty, fresh loaves of bread beckoning me to buy them. I ended up buying a french baguette and an almond meringue. As I was driving home, my car filled with the aroma of the french bread and my mind started racing of what to make with it. I used the baguette as the base for a garden fresh bruschetta and with the meringue I felt fresh, macerated red berries would be perfect. Here's how I did it: 


Ingredients for Bruschetta:
1 loaf of crusty bread like a baguette or ciabatta 
5 medium or 3 large ripe tomatoes  
6 basil leaves
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp. of Olive Oil plus more for the bread
Salt and Pepper 


Directions:

Begin by dicing the tomatoes and placing them in a bowl with the juice that is on the cutting board. Using a garlic press, smash 1 clove of garlic into the bowl with the tomatoes and chiffonade the basil. Add the olive oil and basil and gently toss it all together, generously seasoning it with salt and pepper. Place in the fridge to let the flavors meld together. 

For the toast, heat a grill to medium heat (the use of the grill gives the bread another depth of flavor but you can always toast it). While the grill is warming up, slice the baguette on an angle and drizzle the top side with olive oil. Once the grill is warm, place the oil side of the bread down and drizzle the other side with olive oil. Let it toast for about 5 minutes on each side. When the bread is crunchy, take a clove of garlic and cut it in half. Gently rub one side of the bread with the garlic.

Top the garlic toast with the tomato mixture or serve separate and top one at a time. 

Ingredients for Meringue and Red Berries:
1 meringue
1 cup strawberries, quartered
1 cup raspberries
1 tbsp. lemon zest
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. water or a berry liquor 

Combine the strawberries, raspberries, zest, sugar and water in a bowl and place in fridge to macerate.  After about 1 hour toss the fruit and you will notice the fruit has released its juices and made a bit of a syrup. Slice the meringue, its ok if it falls apart and top with the berries and some syrup. 

It's that easy! Enjoy,
Alexandra =]