Tomato and Basil Bruschetta Topping - Fat Free

The basil is finally large enough to use, and use it we do.

I love the way my hands smell after I pull off some basil.

The tomatoes aren't ready yet, so these vine-ripened ones

will have to do.  I did get my first tomato off the vine the

other day but some ugly little red worm had gotten to it

first.  Does he (a female wouldn't do that to another

female, would they?)  know how I look forward to that

first tomato? 

In high school I would always have tomato sandwiches in

the early part of the school year.  I would put mayo on

some good bread and bring a fresh tomato and a knife

to school to slice my tomato at lunch so it wouldn't be

soggy.  That wouldn't happen today!  I'd be hauled into

the office for bringing a knife!

Today we are making a wonderful tomato and basil topping

for bruschetta, but we have found it works for so many

other wonderful things.

We were having a dinner party with my daughter's in-laws

when I saw her sister-in-law Lis grab the sugar container

at my place and start spooning it into the tomatoes.

I gasped! 

 She'd just mistaken the sugar for the salt and

obviously ruined the bruschetta topping. 

When I pointed out her error, she laughed and said she

knew it was sugar.  Then she proceeded not to add any

oil to the tomato and basil mix.

Mind you, I was really skeptical now.

To my surprise, this is a fabulous version that tastes

so sweet and so fresh and you don't miss the

other traditional ingredients at all and neither

does your waist line.

Lis's Tomato and Basil Bruschetta Topping

3 ripe tomatoes, finely diced

4 T. basil, finely chopped

1/2 tsp. salt

4 tsp. sugar

Combine the above and let sit for about 30 minutes.

Serve over toasted garlic bread,

grilled chicken or steaks.

Tonight we are having it on bread and chicken.

Start by slicing some good, crusty European style bread.

Have your butter at room temperature.

Butter both sides of the bread and sprinkle with this

wonderful garlic and cheese mixture that you can

buy at Costco.  Be sure to sprinkle some on both sides.

I get out my griddle so I can get plenty done at once.

That was yummy!

I topped it with a little shaved parmesano reggiano.

Ok, so you had better double or even triple the tomatoes and

basil because with this size of bread and chicken too, it

is going to go really fast.

No oil, no parmesan, no pine nuts, even no garlic

 but there is NO WAY

you won't love this.

Hope your garden is doing well, and if not, the

basil at the store is great too. 

Give this simple recipe a try.

Thanks for stopping by

 Purple Chocolat Home

for another fresh dish.

I will be posting this on

Just Something I Whipped Up Mondays

and

Tasty Tuesdays.

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Garden Accessories

Today is the last day for my Giveaway
and a chance to win one of 2 Cuisinart Ice Cream Makers.

See my sidebar or click here for more information.

In fashion and interior design you are never

complete

without your accessories.

So it goes with garden design.

I wanted to share with you a few of my

favorites

tucked throughout my garden.

Enter through my garden gate on the north side of our

yard.

We have a small lot. It measures only 80 x 100 feet, but we have a

view lot with nothing but a canal and mountains

behind us so it feels larger.

Whenever I am having a party I fill this wire basket

that I have wired to the gate with fresh flowers

to

welcome

my guests.

These were all picked this week, even with the

heat.  I try to trim the dead ones back and

that way I get roses all summer.

I introduced my garden on Summer Sundays

last week during twilight hours.

Here it is in the daytime showing the canal to

the right.  It is very narrow and we tried

several different backyard layouts over the years

 until we did this about 9 years ago.

My

 inspiration

 was a magazine picture that I had

cut out at least 10 years before that and found again.

It was a similar sized yard with a stucco home and

metal rail just like ours. 

We transformed it from

grass and a fish pond.

The grass didn't grow well and the neighbor's cat's

loved licking their chops after a tasty fresh fish

meal.

 We finally found something we loved.

My oldest daughter fell in love with it as we

changed it and said that it would make a great

place for a wedding reception.  She had her

reception there a year later!

The garden then inspired a total home remodel

about 3 years later turning it from contemporary

to Old World.

The gazebo at the north end holds a dining table.  It is

lit at night with a chandelier and rope

lighting which I featured last week.

Click here to see that post.

The twilight photos were my first attempt at night lighting.

My friend Paula painted the back canvas and as it ages

it just becomes more authentic looking.

This is one of four pots that welcome you to my front door.

I love a profusion of flowers.  I buy them at

the local nursery and set them in my stone pots.

At the end of the season they are so easy to

dispose of, you just lift the inexpensive
peat or plastic pots out of the big
decorative pots and throw them away.

The pots create the Italianate feeling and add

height to the garden.

I love the details on the pots.

Of course the fountain is the centerpiece.  For my

daughter's wedding reception we had goldfish

swimming in it and flowers and candles

floating on it.

What Italianate garden is complete without palms?

We bring these two palms indoors during the winter.

They help to mask our hot tub and when I sit in

the hot tub and see the palms swaying, I

almost feel like I am on vacation.

We have beautiful glass candle lanterns everywhere.

These are Maxxinista finds.

Even little jeweled ones that I found in Frederickburg, Texas.

These were garden sculptures used to decorate one of my

husband's bath showrooms.  For once I was smart

enough to not throw something out!

These urns permanently top the columns.  We purchased

these from Bombay.  Oh, how I miss that store!

They have survived years of snow.

And every garden needs a bit of whimsy.  This is the

 Fairy Queen's castle.

  Click here to see my fairy garden.

Complete with fairy houses.

Mother's Day last year was my gas fire pit.

And since I was raised with the importance of

growing fruits and vegetables, I tuck my vegetables

between the flowers.  This far end of the garden is

anchored by 3 trellises and has the biggest garden

space where I can grow pumpkins

and such.

The arbors also light up at night.

Because, if you don't grow produce like pumpkins,

what is going to happen when Cinderella needs one?

Last but not least are my bling bling garden shoes!

Who knew that they put bling on garden shoes.

But a girl needs those to go along with her bling bling

toenails!

(It keeps the garden dirt from showing under your nails.)

I will be posting this with

Summer Sundays

Bloomin' Tuesdays

and

Outdoor Wednesdays.

Fairy Tea For Her Majesty The Queen

The Fairy Queen has been invited to tea.

We have the table all set.

But you know how fairy queens can be.

They are shy

and flighty,

and maybe She will

show, but maybe She won't.

Even if She does, She might be so quick

that we can't capture Her image

in a picture.

         One reason we might get Her to come

is that

we found Her shoe

lost in my garden.

A very valuable treasure,

For which She has offered a reward.

We were hoping that by having

a tea that She would come Herself.

We placed it under glass, so it doesn't

"disappear".

We have put out our best dishes.

We have prepared peppermint tea

(Her favorite).

Many of Her other friends have already shown up.

We even have one of Her attendants on hand

to make sure everything is to Her liking.

                                      Her attendant suggested

Petit Fours.

And candy,

 all sweet nectar to Her Highness.

Even extra wands were tucked in with the napkins

in case there was a need.

We even hung a bower to ensure Her

privacy.

Wait, I hear something! 

Could it be?

Oh!!

There She is!

Isn't She beautiful?

Oh, She picked the purple one!

She must love purple too!!

She's such a dainty eater, she only took one bite.

She expresses her gratitude

for returning her shoe

and for

a lovely tea.

I express my gratitude

for over 200 Followers.

Please enter for my 1st Giveaway

CLICK HERE

or see my side bar.

Ends August 1st.

Since we were celebrating reaching

100 and it has now swelled to 200

I will be giving away

2 Cuisinart Ice Cream Makers!!

Thank you so much for supporting

Purple Chocolat Home.

Photographs of

Her Majesty were taken by

Brittany Andersen

www.brittanyandersenphotography.com

The Fairy Garden Hideaway is from

www.hearthsong.com

Dishes and accessories are from

Tai Pan.

Petit Fours and Candy

from Kara Chocolates

Her Majesty The Fairy Queen

will be appearing at an audience

with Susan

at

 Between Naps On The Porch

on

Tablescapes Thursday.

Her first attendant will accompany Her there.

She hopes to see you too.

She will also appear on

I Love Pretty Little Things

Pretty Fridays.