Easy Summer Caprese Bread

Summer in Maine! I really appreciate the warm days in Maine. I didn't appreciate it when I lived in L.A., everyday was a warm day. No sir, I didn't and I am sorry for that. But boy- oh - boy, let me tell you how beautiful it is here. It seems like everyone from the South is visiting for a reprieve from the hot sticky weather. Coastal Maine has cool sea breezes, low humidity, and my basil plants are bursting!
So I made Easy Caprese Bread. 

Ingredients:

• Baguette
• Buffalo Mozzarella
• Tomato
• Basil
• Garlic
• Olive Oil
• Grey Salt
• Provencal Spice 
• Cucumber

Directions:

1. Slice baguette into thin slices.
2. Slice mozzarella into thin slices.
3. Slice tomato into thin slices- I see a pattern here!
4. Place a slice of bread on platter, then a slice of tomato, then a slice of mozzarella. Top with a piece of basil. 
5. Crush garlic on top of Caprese Bread.
6. Drizzle Olive Oil. 
7. Combine grey salt and Provencal spices and crush with your fingers over the top. 
8. Repeat the process to make as many Caprese Bread as you like, one platter or two, depending on how many people you are serving.

Sliced up cucumber to dip into the oil, salt and spices.

                                               Grey Salt from Provence, France

Un-pickled Cucumber.

                                      .                                            .

                                                             Basil Pot.

Caprese Bread with a bottle of Cellardoor Winery's Chardonnay. Art Label by artist R. Kirk Moore.

Love the women's faces on the vase.

                                               A favorite Summer Flower. Black Eyed Susan's..

I have linked up with these fabulous blogs!:

French Toast

French Toast on a Saturday Morning.

I hear the birds singing, the pan sizzling, my mouth is watering. Just thinking about all the yummy recipes that I can make with this Rustic Panne. First things first, so French Toast here I come!

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 1cup milk
• 2 TBSP sugar 
• 1/2 tsp.salt
• 6 slices of bread 
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• Butter ( for your skillet)
• Maple syrup
• Powdered sugar ( Optional)

Directions

• Beat eggs
• Add milk, sugar, salt and cinnamon
• Heat skillet, add a Tbsp of butter
• Dip bread into egg batter on both sides
• Brown in skillet
• Serve with maple syrup and a shake of powdered sugar

Makes 6-8  servings

I had a hankering for some French Toast- or Texas Toast as some of you may know it as.

It is so yummy- I can't believe that it has been years since I made it. Depending on what kind of bread you have makes all the world of difference. I just happened to have some of the Rustic Panne from Trader Joe's- I love it because it is dense and holey and chewy. It makes THE BEST french toast.If you can't find this, any kind of dense bread works- actually if it is a day stale- even better!

Dip the bread in the egg batter

A pat of butter melting in your pan

Grill it until it is a lovely shade of brown- mmm caramelized.

Give me some of that sugar!

The kids are scarfing it down. One more piece please?