Ever since I lived in Italy for the summer I have been in love with bruschetta. Now maybe it had to do with the fact that tomatoes in Italy taste truly amazing even when eaten plain, but there is something about this blend of flavors that I truly enjoy. It isn't just me. Every time I make this bruschetta people ask for the recipes and it’s so simple. There are very few ingredients in it, but each one packs so much flavor. This is obviously best when tomatoes are in season because the more flavorful your tomatoes are, the better it will taste; however it can be enjoyed year round. I say pull those tomatoes straight off the plant in your garden and put this together for dinner tonight.
This tomato topping was originally created to serve on toasted bread, which is a delicious way to enjoy it. Either put a bowl in the middle of a platter of toasted baguette or Italian bread pieces and let people dip into it. Or you can put the topping on each piece of bread before serving. Those, however, are not the only options. Dress up grilled chicken or vegetables with this tomato topping. Or make a summer corn chowder and garnish it with this. The options are really endless. After you throw this together once, you will be making it again and again all summer long.
Servings - This really depends on what you are using it for. On bread it serves about 6.
Ingredients
6 Roma Tomatoes (or another type of low moisture tomato)
10 basil leaves, chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
Salt
Pepper
French bread
Instructions
Chop up the tomatoes into a small dice and mix in a bowl with the basil, garlic, 1 tbsp olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste. It is better if you let the bruschetta topping sit for a little bit to let the flavors meld. Feel free to adjust all of the ingredient quantities based on your tastebuds.
Slice the bread into rounds, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Then take the bread pieces and lightly grill, broil or toast them. Top with the bruschestta topping or serve toast on the side and let people dig in.