Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil

By á-46

Ingredients

• 6 or 7 - ripe plum tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs)
• 2 - cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp - extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon - balsamic vinegar
• 6-8 - fresh basil leaves, chopped.
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 - baguette French bread or similar Italian bread
• 1/4 cup - olive oil

Details

Servings 8

Preparation

Step 1

1. Prepare the tomatoes first. Dice ripe tomatoes using serrated knife. Why use plum tomatoes instead of regular tomatoes? The skins are much thicker and there are fewer seeds and less juice.

2. Make sure there is a top rack in place in your oven. Turn on the oven to 450°F to preheat or use grill/broiler.

3. While the grill is heating, Put tomatoes, garlic, 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, vinegar in a bowl and mix. Add the chopped basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4 Slice the baguette in half length-wise. Grill for 5-6 minutes, until the bread just begins to turn golden brown.


You toast the bread without coating it in olive oil first. Toast on a griddle for 1 minute on each side. Take a sharp knife and score each slice 3 times. Rub some garlic in the slices and drizzle half a teaspoon of olive oil on each slice. This is the more traditional method of making bruschetta.

5. Align the bread on a serving platter, olive oil side up. Place some topping on each slice of bread, drizzle with olive oil and serve. If you top each slice with the tomatoes, do it right before serving or the bread may get soggy.