COVID-19 Quarantine Day 41 - Catalan Breakfast Toast

Good rainy Wednesday morning to you all!  I hope you're all enjoying the cool, relaxing rain.  I haven't been out on the deck much yet this morning, but I'm hoping to be out there a lot throughout the day today.  Michael and I just finished breakfast and I wanted to share with you.  Seems silly, but stick with me...

Last night I made 3 baguettes.  They turned out ok.  Not my greatest work.  I'll probably try a different recipe next time.  However, texture-wise, it was spot on!  The outside was crunchy and firm, the inside was soft, it was super yummy!  Michael, the kids and I, all tried it last night before bed because I wanted to know how it turned out while it was warm and we all love fresh baked bread.  The kids have really learned the joy of fresh baked bread since I get my bread machine out a little more often these days in between our trips to the grocery store.  In fact, I made a loaf 2 days ago and this is all that's left...

It may look like a decent amount, but it is well over half gone already m, and would be completely gone if I just let them keep eating it like they want to.  Avery, especially, can't get enough of it.  I can't blame her!  She's a mini me!  And I remember very well eating a bunch of fresh baked bread at Grandma Counterman's house every Sunday after church for years and years and years.

Anyway, the reason I wanted to bring up our breakfast is to share with you a great and simple recipe that Michael and I were introduced to in Mexico 5 years ago.  Our resort had a breakfast buffet, and one of the stations was an area for you to make a traditional Catalan breakfast.  There were slices of toasted baguettes, olive oil, garlic cloves, tomato halves, sea salt, and pepper mills.  That's all there is to it!  You drizzle your toasted bread with olive oil, rub it with garlic, rub is with tomato, essentially getting tomato puree onto the bread, and then sprinkle it was salt and pepper.  It's so easy and so incredibly tasty!  After having it this morning, I had to look it up and see if I was remembering it right and also to find out what it was actually called.  I found it fairly easy.  It goes by a couple of different names, 

PA AMB TOMÀQUET

or 

PAN CON TOMATE

or simply 

Catalan Tomato Bread

No matter what you call it, the recipe is virtually the same.  I add pepper to mine, but on 2nd glance, it appears these recipes do not.  Michael will consider himself a purest about this recipe because he doesn't like pepper anyway.  But it my opinion, just about anything you can salt, you should also pepper.  🤣  But hey, that's just me.  😉  Eating this for breakfast took us back to that sunny resort in Mexico.  Back to a time before social distancing, back to a vacation on our own as a couple without the kids in tow, back to a warm sandy beach with a blue tropical drink or the best margaritas we've ever had in our hands... (Did you know in Mexico they're not neon yellow/green?!?!?  Apparently that's not the color fresh lime juice is.  Who knew??  🤷🏼‍♀️)  It was nice to take a little mental vacation, even if it was just for breakfast.  😉  Although, to be totally honest with you, the weather today is a bit of a vacation as well.  

I love Spring and Summer storms.  Today the rain is coming straight down, so, as I mentioned earlier, I'm hoping to spend a lot of the day out on the deck in the cool, refreshing air.  I love listening to the rain come down while I'm inside, but it's even better outside.  I love listening to the low, rumble and growl of the thunder.  I like hearing more of the birds and less of the traffic and noise from the city all around me.  It's peaceful and calming.  So all in all, I expect today to be a really nice day.  It started well with a delicious breakfast and the rain has put me in a good mood as well.  Not to mention, big weekend plans.  😉😁❤  So I hope this finds you well, this Wednesday morning.  And if you're looking for a new recipe to try, click any of those 3 links above!  They are wonderful!  Making baguettes is a lot of work though, just buy one if you can.  But, if you can't, you'll find a lot of pride and a great sense of accomplishment when you make your own.  If I come across the perfect recipe for that, I'll be sure to post it as well.  😊  Have a splendid day!  Love you all!!