Bruschetta, 3 ways, for a satisfying picnic main dish

A mainstay at many Italian restaurants, it's an appetizer comprising slices of grilled bread adorned with any number of toppings.

According to Italian cookbook author Marcella Hazan, bruschetta likely originated in ancient Rome.

Olive growers who brought their produce there to be pressed would sample the flavor of the fresh-squeezed oil on toasted slices of bread.

Having recently come to the conclusion that there was no good reason why this simple and tasty concoction should be limited to an appetizer or side dish, I have here chosen to cast bruschetta as the star of a summer picnic.

[...] brush each slice of bread with your very best extra-virgin olive oil to before it heads for the grill.

[...] bruschetta is nothing if not basic, meaning that just about any filling you'd ordinarily put between two slices of bread will also work as a topping for bruschetta: egg salad, tuna salad, runny cheese, hummus, grilled vegetables, you name it.

Nutrition information per serving: 214 calories; 61 calories from fat; 7 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 89 mg cholesterol; 195 mg sodium; 3 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 36 g protein.

In a medium bowl, mash the beans using a potato masher, leaving about half in large pieces and the rest mashed.

Add the onion, fennel, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, hot pepper flakes, and salt to taste and stir well.

Nutrition information per serving: 199 calories; 67 calories from fat; 7 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 73 mg sodium; 25 g carbohydrate; 5 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 8 g protein.

Nutrition information per serving: 175 calories; 139 calories from fat; 15 g fat (4 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 17 mg cholesterol; 691 mg sodium; 6 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 2 g sugar; 4 g protein.

Remove the bread from the pan and, while it's still hot, rub one side of each slice with a cut clove of garlic, then sprinkle it very lightly with kosher salt.

Nutrition information per serving: 256 calories; 39 calories from fat; 4 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 552 mg sodium; 45 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 8 g protein.