White Bean Bruschetta

My friend Bonnie Mizell is a fabulous cook and party hostess extraordinaire. The food she served at her Xmas party this year was perfect. I especially enjoyed her white bean bruschetta which was from a Mario Batali recipe. Since it is winter and I don't have fresh herbs in my garden like Bonnie's wonderful year round potted herb garden, I added my own twist to Bonnie's recipe by substituting the fresh basil with rosemary. It worked! I brought this to the office last week while we were all working to get our proposals ready and it was a hit. I made it again here in my Florida "home away from home" using ground herbs from an Italian herb grinder I found in the spice collection. To cut down on calories, I served the bruschetta over thin slices of baguette that were not brushed with olive oil and grilled. Of course you could grill the bread first and it would be even yummier!

White Bean Bruschetta

1 can small cooked white beans (cannellini beans)
2 T olive oil
2 T balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp rosemary leaves or ground Italian herbs
1 garlic clove (finely grated)
pinch of salt
1 crusty French baguette

1. Drain the liquid from the beans.
2. Mix all olive oil, vinegar, herbs, garlic, and salt together in a bowl. Let it set for at least one hour for the flavors to develop.
3. Slice the baguette on a bias.
4. Serve the beans at room temperature in a bowl with a spoon, surrounded by slices of baguette.
5. To eat, spoon bean mixture onto a slice of baguette and enjoy!