Monday, September 1, 2014

Simple Bruschetta

This is another of my favorite recipes and works really well in the summer when tomatoes and basil are in season and you can grill the bread outdoors instead of toasting in the oven.  My Aunt taught me how to make it about 8 years ago. Very simple with only a few ingredients and so good.

You can pair it with grilled tofu, or have it as a side dish / appetizer with pasta.  

**Notes: The riper the tomatoes the better the results with this recipe.  Do not omit a sprinkle of sea salt as it will help release the juices of the tomatoes.  Adjust the amount of each ingredient to suit your taste.  Everyone enjoys a little different ratio of tomatoes to basil, etc.


SIMPLE BRUSCHETTA

INGREDIENTS:
2 large regular Tomatoes or 4-5 Roma Tomatoes, finely chopped
2-3 Green Onions, sliced
4-6 large Basil leaves, finely chopped
Sprinkle of Sea Salt
1 Baguette, sliced into 1/4-1/2 inch thick slices

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Chop tomatoes, green onions, and basil and place in a glass or ceramic mixing bowl.  Do not use a metal bowl because it can react to the acid in the tomatoes.


2.  Mix the three ingredients together and sprinkle with sea salt. Stir and sprinkle again.


3.  Remove spoon, loosely cover, and let the mixture rest for at least 1/2 an hour or more.  

4.  When you are almost ready to serve, spray your baguette slices on each side with a little olive oil and grill for a few minutes on each side until crispy and golden.


5.  It is best to serve the bowl of bruschetta and basket of toasted baguette in separate containers on the table.  Use a spoon to scoop the bruschetta (making sure to include some juice) onto a baguette slice.  Crunch and enjoy.



Yes, it is a little messy to eat, but so good.  If you scoop a few at a time the bread can get a little soggy even though the toasted baguette seems to hold up well.  Hubby likes to dip the bread in the juice too.

- Bon Appetit

" If you've got a plot the size of a car or a tiny yard in Italy, you're going to be growing tomatoes and basil and celery and carrots, and everybody is still connected to the land." - Frances Mayes
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6 comments:

  1. And if you pronounce it with a k sound you get brownie points. I like mine with olive oil and salt only.

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    1. I chuckle when restaurant staff pronounces it wrong. I imagine you have had some fine bruschetta in your travels.

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  2. This is one of my favorite things to snack on. I have heard that after picking a tomato not to eat it for a day because the health benefits come out after sitting 24 hours or so. True? Do you know?

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    1. I know they say not to refrigerate them. I would imagine they ripen a little more after a day and would be more nutrition then, but hadn't actually read it anywhere.

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