Bruschetta Board with Pickled Cherries, Marinated Cherry Tomatoes, Apricot Salsa and Olive Oil Dip

Categories : appetizers & savoury snacks, easy peasy, lent, potatoes & vegetables, Recipes, soups & salads, vegetarian or vegan

An epic bruschetta board with a variety of delicious toppings. Honey-sweetened pickled cherries, cherry tomatoes marinated in olive oil with herbs, a fresh and tangy salsa with apricots and a heavenly dip with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Bruschetta Board with Pickled Cherries, Marinated Cherry Tomatoes, Apricot Salsa and Olive Oil Dip www.thefoodiecorner.gr Photo description: A bottle of olive oil and a jar of honey lying on a marble surface surrounded by lots of cherries, apricots and cherry tomatoes.

I love boards and platters. One of my favourite pastimes is to sit in front of an enormous spread of gorgeous nibbles with a glass of chilled wine. Whether to be enjoyed with friends or while watching a good series, a loaded bruschetta board is always a good idea. Although I will say that at the moment it would be a good idea to keep it small scale if you’re entertaining friends. Maybe host in the garden or on the balcony? Let’s keep on being safe, we’re nearly out of the woods!

Bruschetta Board with Pickled Cherries, Marinated Cherry Tomatoes, Apricot Salsa and Olive Oil Dip www.thefoodiecorner.gr Photo description: An assortment of cherries, apricots, cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs on a marble surface. Amogst them is a head of garlic and half a lime. To the side are two small ceramic bowls, one full of olive oil and one full of honey.

So what is on my epic bruschetta board? The main toppings are:
-Honey-sweetened pickled cherries with chilli and ginger
-Marinated cherry tomatoes with extra virgin olive oil and fresh herbs
-Fresh and tangy apricot salsa with onion and tomatoes
-Extra virgin olive oil dip with balsamic vinegar, capers and herbs
All of them taste wonderful with bread, so get toasting those baguette slices!

The olive oil featured in these delicious toppings is the organic extra virgin olive oil by Ol-eve. It’s become my favourite, especially where raw oil is called for. It’s the perfect ingredient for the dip and the tomato marinade as the flavour really shines through.

Bruschetta Board with Pickled Cherries, Marinated Cherry Tomatoes, Apricot Salsa and Olive Oil Dip www.thefoodiecorner.gr Photo description: A close up image of a bowl of pickled cherries on a bruschetta board, some of the cherries halved. To the bottom are two bruschettas with vegan cream cheese and pickled cherries on top.

For the honey-sweetened pickled cherries and the apricot salsa I used a new (to me) honey called Balkan Honey, also by Ol-eve. It’s a blend of forest and flower honey originating from Bulgaria, Greece and Romania, and has a lovely light colour and delicate flavour. Sometimes here in Greece we tend to think our products are the best in the whole wide world (!) and don’t get me wrong, Greek honey is definitely top quality (when it’s real of course, see my post about honey adulteration here). But the flavour of honey can be very different from area to area due to the difference in terrain. So honey from the dry, rocky southern Peloponnese won’t taste the same as honey from a country further north that has rolling meadows filled with flowers! One isn’t better than the other, just different. Of course this is true provided we’re talking about certified pure honey made with sustainable practices, like Ol-eve honeys.

Bruschetta Board with Pickled Cherries, Marinated Cherry Tomatoes, Apricot Salsa and Olive Oil Dip www.thefoodiecorner.gr Photo description: A close up of a bowl of marinated cherry tomatoes with herbs. A wooden spoon is laying in the bowl to the side. There are red, black and yellow tomatoes.

But back to our board. The four toppings I’m sharing are delicious enough to enjoy as bruschettas (or bruschette more correctly) so if there aren’t that many of you, you don’t need to go all out with the rest of the nibbles. It’s important to be conscious of food waste. If you are super hungry or feeding several people then by all means, use your imagination to load up that board with anything you fancy. Fresh fruit and veg, nuts, dried fruit etc. If you eat cheese you could add a hard yellow or soft white variety (go for something sustainably/ethically sourced if possible). I chose a plant based cream cheese which paired perfectly with everything.

Bruschetta Board with Pickled Cherries, Marinated Cherry Tomatoes, Apricot Salsa and Olive Oil Dip www.thefoodiecorner.gr Photo description: A close up of olive oil dip on a bruschetta board, i.e. a small deep plate with chopped herbs, olive oil and a few drops of balsamic vinegar.

Here’s what you can see in the photos:
-Pesto (store bought, plant based)
-Sliced tomato (I used heirloom, yellow and black varieties)
-Fruit (cherries, apricots, blueberries, blackberries, kiwi)
-Avocado
-Olives
-Sliced onion soaked in vinegar (for at least an hour before serving)
-Crackers
-Nuts
-Dates
-Honey
-Plant based cream cheese (or any cheese you prefer, it pairs well with honey)
-Dark chocolate (I used a salted variety)
-Herbs for decoration (but pop them back in the fridge soon after, so they don’t go to waste)

Bruschetta Board with Pickled Cherries, Marinated Cherry Tomatoes, Apricot Salsa and Olive Oil Dip www.thefoodiecorner.gr Photo description: A close up of apricot salsa on a bruschetta board, i.e. a bowl of chopped apricots, tomato and onions with mint. A wooden handled spoon is lying in the bowl to the side.

You can use any combinations of the above or substitute with other goodies of your liking. Toast some day old baguette slices (or any other bread), pour a glass of wine and enjoy! And don’t forget to tag me in any photos; you can find me on Instagram at @thefoodiecorner!

Bruschetta Board with Pickled Cherries, Marinated Cherry Tomatoes, Apricot Salsa and Olive Oil Dip www.thefoodiecorner.gr Photo description: A closer view of a bruschetta board with four bowls of toppings, fruit, tomatoes, honey, nuts, avocado, pesto and crackers. Above the board are some toasted slices of bread, three glasses of rose wine, a bottle of olive oil and a jar of honey.

Ingredients

For the pickled cherries
300 gr cherries (halved and pitted if desired)
240 ml (1 cup) apple vinegar
90 ml (6 Tbs) Balkan Honey by Ol-eve
1/4 tsp chilli flakes
1/4 tsp ginger, powdered

For the marinated cherry tomatoes
60 ml (4 Tbs) organic extra virging olive oil by Ol-eve
30 ml (2 Tbs) apple vinegar
1 Tbs fresh basil, finely chopped
2 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp sea salt flakes
1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
250 gr cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

For the apricot salsa
180 gr apricots (weighed without stones), finely chopped
50 gr cherry tomatoes, finely chopped
20 gr onion, finely chopped
30 ml (2 Tbs) lime juice, freshly squeezed
2 tsp fresh spearmint, finely chopped
1 tsp Ol-eve Balkan Honey (or more if your apricots aren’t very sweet)
1/8 tsp sea salt flakes
1 pinch black pepper, freshly ground
1 pinch chilli flakes

For the olive oil dip
1 Tbs capers, finely chopped
2 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1/4 tsp sea salt flakes
1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1/8 tsp chilli flakes
60 ml (4 Tbs) organic extra virgin olive oil by Ol-eve
2 tsp balsamic vinegar (or to taste)

Step 1

For the pickled cherries
Place the cherries in a jar with a lid. Combine the vinegar, honey, chilli flakes and ginger in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir until the honey is incorporated and pour the hot mixture over the cherries. Pop the lid on and once the jar has cooled place it in the fridge for at least 24 hours before serving. The cherries will keep for ages in the fridge.

Step 2

For the marinated cherry tomatoes
Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, basil, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl with a fork. Add the cherry tomatoes, toss well and let sit for about half an hour before serving.

Step 3

For the apricot salsa
Gently toss the apricot, tomatoes, onion, lime juice, spearmint, honey, salt, pepper and chilli flakes in a small bowl. Let it sit for about half an hour before serving. Add some extra honey if it’s too tart.

Step 4

For the olive oil dip
In a small bowl mix the capers, thyme, garlic, rosemary, salt, pepper and chilli flakes. Transfer the mixture to a small deep plate and drizzle with the olive oil. Add the balsamic in drops so it looks pretty and serve. Note: For bruschetta (toasted bread) spoon the dip over the bread. If using fresh bread you can dip it in, but avoid double-dipping if sharing the dish with others!

Notes:
-The cherries are nice and sour, if you want them milder use more honey.
-The apricot salsa also pairs well with grilled meat and fish if you are omnivores.
-If you have cherry tomatoes, salsa or olive oil dip leftover (I doubt you will but if...!) you can toss it all with some boiled and slightly cooled pasta for a delicious salad!
-This post is sponsored by Ol-eve. All opinions are my own.

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2 Comments

Eha

08/06/2021

This must be one of the most interesting variety boards I have ever sighted . . . and it is a wondrously healthy one with not one ‘boring’ edge ! Absolutely love the four simple recipes which accompany the exciting suggestion . . . the olive oil mixture will be made tomorrow ! The fruits will have to wait until warm weather returns to Australia . . . shall repost this to friends . . .
- Reply
  Eleni {The Foodie Corner} Ελένη
  
  08/06/2021
  
  Thank you so much for your kind words, I am so glad you like it! I hope you enjoy the olive oil dip while waiting for warmer weather. I am jealous of your winter, I hate the heat and it’s already proper summer here now… 🙂