Day 4 - Summer Bruschetta

OK, it's getting a bit on the hot side outdoors. The paint is peeling off buildings and you're tired of mopping your brow yet again...almost makes you not want to eat, right? Wrong! You can chill out with this variation on traditional Italian bruschetta. Just buy a handful of cilantro and a baguette and use up the rest of the ingredients that were used for recipes earlier this week.

Chop your remaining TOMATOES and toss out the seeds. Throw into a bowl with a crushed clove of GARLIC, chopped CUCUMBER, KALAMATA OLIVES, MOZZARELLA CHEESE and CILANTRO. Top with a tablespoonful of OLIVE OIL, a smidgen of SALT and PEPPER and stir. Put mixture in fridge to keep cool and slice fresh BAGUETTE into inch-thick disks. When ready to serve, spoon mixture onto baguette slices and serve with a just-poured glass of rose. Even if it's snowing outside, you'll feel the sunshine dappling your forehead...

To add a bit of a kick, add some chopped Mama Lil's Peppers. They give the perfect hint of tang and heat when used sparingly. Also, if there's a need for a bit more garlic, spread the baguette rounds with a bit of hummus before adding mixture.