Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil

Ah bruschetta, one of the best ways to enjoy the bounty of summer. Pronounced “brusketta”, this classic Italian appetizer is a perfect way to capture the flavors of garden ripened tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic, and olive oil. Think of it as summer on toast!

My friend Dee showed me how to make it years ago, and it couldn’t be easier to prepare. It’s just a mixture of chopped tomatoes, balsamic, basil, and garlic, spooned over olive-oil brushed slices of toasted baguette or rustic bread.

It’s perfect for a party because you can make a large batch of the topping ahead of time, as well as toasting baguette slices. Either bring out a bowl of the bruschetta topping for people to put on their own toasts, or do it for them right before serving.

Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil Recipe

We suggest using plum tomatoes for bruschetta because they have thicker flesh with fewer seeds and less juice than regular tomatoes, but feel free to use any tomato for this recipe. If you use cherry tomatoes, just quarter them, don't bother blanching or peeling them.

Ingredients

• 6 or 7 ripe plum tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 6-8 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced* or chopped
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, more or less to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more or less to taste

• 1 baguette French bread or similar Italian bread
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil

*To thinly slice basil leaves, stack the leaves on top of each other and roll up like a cigar. Then make thin slices from one end of the basil cigar to the other.

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