Strawberry Peach Bruschetta

This strawberry peach bruschetta is a summery take on one of our favorite easy appetizers. In its most basic form, all you need is some good bread, olive oil, in-season tomatoes, salt, pepper, balsamic and fresh basil. We like to make ours ~extra fancy~ by adding juicy peaches, sweet strawberries, and a spread of vegan ricotta.

This post is sponsored by Canyon Gluten Free. All opinions are our own. As always, thank you for supporting the brands that support us!

Well, it’s officially summer. The wishy-washy spring weather is finally gone – it’s been 82 degrees+ and sunny every day for the last week! We spent all of last weekend on my parents’ boat; it was absolutely glorious. I even got slightly tan, and only very slightly sunburnt. If you know me personally, that’s a miracle. We packed up all sorts of snacks – chilled watermelon, berries, sliced veggies, hummus, crackers, even chocolate – and camped out on the lake (not literally) all weekend.

As the heat wave continued, my 20 year-old AC unit decided to quit on us. It completely stopped functioning on Tuesday night, so I had to sit in an 88 degree house on Wednesday waiting for someone to come take a look. My husband and I just bought this house a few months ago (our first home!) and it’s come with a fair share of (expensive) surprises. It’s relatively old and the previous owner clearly didn’t take great care of the property. We’re not all that surprised that the AC broke, but still – not fun!

Thankfully, we got someone to come out today to replace the unit – just in time for my mother-in-law’s first visit this weekend. We’re definitely planning to spend another whole weekend on the boat, so I think we’ll all be very grateful to come home to cool house. This weekend, we’re packing up more snacks and planning to have a picnic on the boat. This Strawberry Peach Bruschetta is the perfect option – it’s full of summer flavors and perfect for an afternoon snack!

The key to good bruschetta…

…good bread, of course! When we went gluten free (for health reasons) almost 9 years ago, we thought we’d never be able to have good bread again. While no gluten free bread can perfectly replicate a delicious, doughy, glutinous bread, we’ve found some really great alternatives. Our favorite: Canyon Gluten Free Bakehouse! They’ve been our #1 gluten free bread choice for years. They have a fantastic range of products (sandwich breads, english muffins, bagels, buns, even focaccia!) and their products are widely available in most stores across the country.

We use their products almost every day – in sandwiches, as french toast, or even vegan polenta “eggs” benedict! We used their Ancient Grain bread for this bruschetta. It’s flavorful, slightly nutty and the perfect texture for bruschetta. Plus, we love that it comes in stay-fresh packaging, which means it can stay at room temperature for up to 90 days after packaging. This is huge for us – our freezer is always packed to the gills, so it’s nice not to have to store our bread there, too! (Note: once you open that package, we’ve found it’s best to consume within a week.)

Our favorite way to prep this bruschetta is by grilling the bread. It adds so much flavor and lends the perfect crunch. Plus, our grill is on pretty much every day during summer, so it’s a no brainer. Never grilled bread? Simply brush with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Grill over medium for just a minute or two on each side. Don’t stray too far from the grill – bread can go from perfectly charred to completely burnt in just a few minutes.

Make the most of summer produce!

While we love a solid tomato-only bruschetta, fresh strawberries and peaches add a lovely hint of sweetness. We were lucky enough to find some locally grown strawberries at our grocery store – they took this bruschetta to the next level! I highly suggest seeking them out – they’re so much sweeter and more fragrant than most mass-produced varieties.

Our homegrown basil is doing really well this year, so we added a liberal handful to this bruschetta. Basil + berries and/or peaches has to be one of my all-time favorite flavor combinations. (These Berry Basil Moscow Mules are a summer favorite!) Ah, I just love summer produce SO MUCH. Ya feel me?!

The last ingredient you’ll need for this strawberry peach bruschetta is some ricotta – vegan or regular. We use this dairy free ricotta all the time and absolutely love it. I haven’t had regular dairy ricotta in years so I don’t fully remember what it tastes like, but I swear it’s incredibly similar in both texture and flavor! If you’d prefer to make vegan ricotta from scratch, try this recipe. A layer of ricotta adds some creaminess that plays well with crispy toasted bread and juicy fruit. It also helps keep the fruit stay on top of the bread (read: you won’t get strawberry stains on your new white linen shirt!).

More summer appetizer ideas

• Rainbow Summer Slaw
• Summer Crostini Two Ways (sweet & savory)
• Watermelon Berry Salad with Lime Mint Dressing
• Grilled Corn, Black Bean & Avocado Salad

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