Fresh tomatoes and basil tossed with olive oil, salt and a little diced garlic is all it takes to make this delicious bruschetta appetizer. Quick, easy and sure to please.
- 8 - 10 roma tomatoes, or an 8 oz container of cherry tomatoes chopped in small pieces
- 6 - 8 fresh basil leaves finely sliced or 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 2 Tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 clove garlic diced finely or ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 - 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 loaf of French bread sliced into 1 inch thick slices
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Chop the tomatoes into small pieces reserving the juices from the tomatoes
- Place chopped tomatoes and juices in a bowl
- Cut the basil into long fine slices and then cut lengthwise in half sprinkle basil on top of tomatoes
- Pour the olive oil over the tomatoes and basil
- Mince one clove of garlic add to bowl
- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt over tomatoes and stir well
- Taste and season with more salt if necessary
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Slice French bread
- Lightly oil both sides of the bread - using a brush or the back of a spoon
- Place the oiled bread on a cookie sheet and place in oven for 5 minutes
- Turn the slices over and cook in oven for another 5 minutes
- Serve the bread in a basket and the tomatoes in a bowl with a spoon to scoop the bruschetta onto the bread
Mama’s Notes:
Tips
Don’t have fresh ingredients for your bruschetta?
Using fresh ingredients is great, but sometimes fresh tomatoes and basil are just not available. So you can use canned diced tomatoes, but will need to add a pinch of sugar and a little more salt to take away that “canned” tomato taste. If you have fresh tomatoes but they are a little hard or out of season, simply cut them as directed and sprinkle salt over them and let them “weep” for 15 minutes. The salt takes the bitterness out of the tomato.
To cut the basil, you roll the leaf into a little pipe shape by rolling it side to side and then slicing across the pipe. This is called chiffonade and here’s a video for you to see how it’s done. Again, if you don’t have fresh basil, it is okay to use dried basil – and if you do, add it to the olive oil before pouring over the tomatoes and let sit in the olive oil for 10 minutes or so until it reconstituted.
Fresh garlic really makes a difference, but not having fresh is not a deal breaker. If you are going to use garlic powder, slowly pour it into the tomato mixture and taste taste taste. Garlic powder is one of those things that once you have gone too far, it is hard to recover from.
This simple dish is always a welcome treat in our household and there are never leftovers. If you would like to learn more about ways you can transform a few simple ingredients into a delicious dish join Mama Caruso Cooks Cooking Club and let’s get cooking …together.
