Happy July everyone! A lot of people love this time of year for the weather and vacations. Us? We like it for the food. More specifically – TOMATO SEASON.
Often times when couples sit down to plan a Summer wedding, there’s still snow on the ground. Trust us when we say – thinking for future you and your guests will pay off big time. The first bit of advice you will get from the kitchen at Bread & Chocolate is to consider the season. If you are planning a wedding for anytime between July and September, tomatoes are the perfect addition to your menu, if not the star of the show.
We are lucky to be surrounded by some amazing growers here, in Northern Indiana. Less than 2 miles away, our friends at Clay Bottom Farm are growing beautiful greens, tomatoes and more. We get so excited for these months every year, because their tomatoes make our dishes shine. One of our favorites this time of year is Bruschetta Chicken.
This entrée features sautéed chicken breast, which is truly just a vessel for our delicious tomato, basil and mozzarella bruschetta. These three ingredients, topped with a fruity olive oil, are Summer’s holy grail. The only thing that takes this flavor combo to the next level is a perfectly ripe, hand grown tomato.
A side dish that features Clay Bottom’s delicious tomato varieties is our Italian salad. Beyond the beautiful wedges of tomatoes, this salad is topped with house made giardiniera bits, kalamata olives, ricotta salata, thinly sliced red onion, and homemade croutons. This salad is paired with our zesty, herby Italian dressing.
While we could go on about flavors, we will let these photos do the talking.
We’d like to officially thank Rachel Hershberger and Ben Hartman for their hard work growing these beauties. These tomatoes truly speak for themselves in our dishes. We can’t wait to serve them all Summer.
Other tomato dishes to consider:
Bruschetta Crostini
Three Cheese Risotto with Seasonal Vegetables
Garden Vegetable Salad – topped with tomatoes, served with sundried tomato dressing
Ratatouille
Classic Lasagna