This weekend, greenhouses in the Fraser Valley are giving you a peek into how they produce the very vegetables we love at BC Veggie Day! Last year I visited some greenhouses in Abbotsford and it was fascinating to see just how all those sweet peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, and tomatoes are grown right here in the Lower Mainland. Head out to a farm on Saturday between 10 am and 2pm to meet your local farmer, see their operation, and ask questions! (list of the farms that are open is right here). We'll be out at Bakerview Greenhouses and Randhawa Farms.
Grown locally without herbicides or pesticides, these GMO free veggies and easy to turn into something really tasty for your family, just like these roasted tomato and pepper bruschetta toasts I came up with. I love roasting tomatoes to intensify the flavours, and then mound them up on some good crusty bread. You can actually roast the tomatoes the day before and put them in a sealed container in the fridge if you like, then the next day just toss them with the other ingredients and proceed. A light dinner will be on the table in no time! You can change these up and add cooked and crumbled bacon or feta cheese, if you like. I like them just as is. This recipe makes enough for 2 people as a meal with a side salad or something.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups halved grape or mixed color cherry tomatoes, roasted.
1/2 cup sweet red pepper
2 garlic cloves, chopped finely
2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan
1 finely chopped green onion
2 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1 Demi sized loaf of Cobs Turkish bread (split in half), or 2 good sized ciabatta buns
Directions:
1. Butter and toast the bread under the broiler. Set aside and turn off the oven.
2. In a medium sized bowl, toss the roasted tomatoes, sweet peppers, garlic, Parmesan, green onion, salt, pepper, and olive oil all together. Mound on the toasted bread. Place the pan back into the hot oven for a few minutes to warm through.
3. Serve immediately!
