The basket included the following items:
- Summer Sausage and Garlic Sausage by Hanover Smokehouse
- Cheddar Cheese, Garlic Cheese and Smoked Gouda by Mountain View Farms
- Sundried Tomato Bruschetta by Cucina & Amore
- Stoned Wheat Crackers by Eleanor + Flynn
- Olive Oil & Sea Salt Water Crackers by Mariner
I was particularly excited by the gourmet pairing of the Mountain View Farms cheeses with Mariner’s non-GMO crackers.
Such an outstanding assortment of small business produced cheeses!
And yet, perhaps no other item in the basket “spoke” to me as much as Cucina & Amore’s Sun-Dried Tomato Bruschetta.
Cucina & Amore was founded in 2007, out of a love of enjoying good food and gatherings in the kitchen. This small business creates products with only a few, recognizable ingredients, minimal processing, and GMO free – and their sun-dried tomato bruschetta is a case in point. Made of finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes, this gluten- and sulfite- free product also features minimally processed basil, tomato paste, olive oil, Grana Padano Cheese, walnuts, garlic, and pine nuts.
Just look at the gorgeous color!
I used this highly-acclaimed bruschetta topping as an ingredient in one of the dishes I am serving this Father’s Day weekend: peppers and tomatoes stuffed with chicken. For this recipe I used one pound of lean organic ground chicken mixed with half of the bruschetta, and some grated parmesan. I topped the stuffed veggies with freshly chopped parsley and grated mozzarella. I just couldn’t help it: I had to add more cheese 🙂
The bruschetta and the parmesan provided the chicken with the moisture and tenderness it needed, while also packing it with a punch of flavor. Meanwhile, the peppers and tomatoes themselves added veggie vibrancy and freshness, rendering the dish multidimensional and light.
The perfect, delicious summer lunch – not heavy in the slightest!
So yum!
I was very pleased with the delicious tomato flavor imparted by the bruschetta upon this dish, and overall, I loved the Gourmet Gift Baskets package I received. I appreciated the thought process that went into putting together this basket which highlighted a variety of gourmet items created by small businesses. As you know, I am a big supporter of small producers, and as such I am pleased to see them taking center stage especially now, when they need support more than ever before. I will continue to shed light on these businesses and on Gourmet Gift Baskets more broadly – the quality is there, and so is the deliciousness, and so is the joy.
What are you cooking this weekend? Let me know in the comments 🙂
*Disclaimer: While I received complimentary products to facilitate this review, all opinions expressed here are my own.
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