Fall Favorites- Kale Bruschetta

Right now life is a little hectic. When I stop working, I have to catch up on work, if you know what I mean. End of the year paperwork, things I have let slip by.

And when that happens, cooking time in the kitchen  also gets cut down to quick recipes or really long slow ones that can take care of themselves.

One dish that we always love when the new oil comes out is having what Tuscans call Fettunta and in the rest of Italy is called Bruschetta

( pronounced brus-Ketta, not bru-Shetta).

Another one of the secrets of the Tuscan kitchen. Keep it simple.

Fettunta con Cavolo Nero
Kale Bruschetta

Loaf a country style bread
kale
extra virgin olive oil
garlic
salt

First cook the kale.

Cavolo Nero is Tuscany’s kale.  ( I can find it in California too, called lacinto or dinosaur kale. The dark almost black leaves are quite popular now too as chips , baked in the oven.)
Young kale leaves can also be used in salads and it is one of the prime ingredients in Minestrone and Ribollita.


Remove the tough stem and wash the leaves.
Boil in a small amount of salted water until tender.

Toast slices of the bread until crispy.
Rub with raw garlic slice.

Place the toast on a platter or in a bowl.
Top with the kale and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

This is bruschetta or fettunta.

You can also serve it as a soup- placing the bread in a soup bowl, topping with the kale and then adding the “pot-likker” the cooking liquid which is full of vitamins.

Another treat is to top with Tuscan Beans.

These are my oven-roasted beans- find the recipe HERE.

If you use the bean broth, it is called Zuppa alla Frantoiana.

The Frantoio is where they crush the olives to make oil.

I live right next to Frantoio so can just walk over with an empty can while they are crushing and buy some, freshly made.

Another blessing!