Need a summer appetizer? – Start with grilled bread

The barbecue pit is getting a serious workout this time of year. While it’s fired and ready, add slices of fresh crusty bread to produce an easy and flavorful summer appetizer.

Brush half-inch slices of your favorite dense bread lightly with olive oil and place them directly on grill grates over medium heat. Watch carefully.

After a minute or two, you should have achieved a golden brown color and-—most importantly—nice char marks. Then, flip the slices and brown the other side. Remove from grill and rub one side of each slice with a peeled clove of garlic for an extra layer of flavor.

Arrange the slices on a tray with your favorite toppings. In the picture, I’ve used fresh Creole and Cherokee purple tomatoes, grilled Vidalia onion and grilled orange bell pepper, chopped and tossed with fresh basil and sea salt and cracked black pepper. A tomato-based topping never fails with grilled bread, but don’t stop there. Puree a cup of cooked or canned white beans with fresh garlic, fresh chopped rosemary and salt and pepper for creamy white bean spread, or combine cooked, drained black-eyed peas and chopped tomato, green bell pepper, fresh jalapeno with a little lime juice to make southern caviar.

Short on time? Grilled bread also loves simple slices of fresh tomato topped with feta crumbles or lengths of avocado sprinkled lemon juice and kosher salt.