Portobello On Bruschetta With Oven-Roasted Tomato, Capers And Olives

When you want to make that special presentation, go for the glitz and serve each guest a marinated and grilled Portobello mushroom on grilled bruschetta with a warm bath of oven- roasted tomato, capers and olives. Use one large slice of a Portobello mushroom or one small Portobello for each bruschetta made. (Recipe Courtesy of Nancy Vajretti, caterer.)

The Portobello:
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup mixed chopped herbs
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

The bruschetta:
One 1-pound round of rustic sour dough or Italian round, ¾ inch slices

The sauce:
2 cups oven-roasted tomatoes
1/2 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh minced herbs
1 tablespoon capers
1 tablespoon slivered kalamata olives

Oven-roasted tomatoes:
6 Roma tomatoes cut lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon fresh chopped herbs

For the Portobello’s, combine the marinade ingredients and pour over the mushrooms. Marinate for one hour. Preheat oven to 425°. Place mushrooms on a cookie sheet. Pour marinade over mushrooms, place in the oven and roast for 5-10 minutes. For the sauce, prepare the oven-roasted tomatoes. Heat oven to 225°. Drop tomatoes into boiling water for 30 seconds. Plunge into ice water. Peel, removing stems. Split on one side and with your finger; remove seeds. Place tomatoes on parchment or foil on a cookie sheet brushed with olive oil, reserving at least half for the tomatoes. Brush the remainder of the olive oil on the tomatoes, season with minced garlic, salt and pepper and herbs. Bake for 2-3 hours, until tomatoes are soft but retain their shape. In a skillet over medium heat, place the sauce ingredients and warm. Taste and correct for seasonings. For the bruschetta, slice and grill the bread over an open fire, stove flame or grill pan. To serve, place a slice of bruschetta in the center of a plate. Top with one Portobello mushroom. Spoon the tomato sauce on top and around the bread. Garnish with fresh herbs.