Bruschetta

Let’s keep things light and simple.  Let’s eat food that lets its true flavors shine through.  Let’s not mess around with nature too much because it does great things all on its own.

This may or may not be my mindset because I’m limited in what I can make, or because I have an obscene amount of studying to do this week (yay finals!).  Whatever the reason, sometime I just want to eat fresh, unadulterated food.  Sometimes I just want good ingredients, very little work, and something delicious, and maybe even a bit fancy, to eat.

That’s where bruschetta comes in. 

I like to keep my bruschetta super simple.  I mean, you’re combining bread, tomatoes, and basil, how much more do you really need to add to make it delicious?  I know a lot of people like to add cheese to their bruschetta, but I don’t think it adds much.  Especially as tomatoes get sweeter and juicier as tomato season gets closer.  I like the sweetness of tomatoes, the bright taste of basil, and just a touch of tanginess from the vinegar.  A sprinkling of parmesan couldn’t hurt, you know, if you’re into that kind of thing.

This makes for a great, easy, and fancy looking starter to any dinner party.  Or maybe it’s a snack.  Or maybe you’re like me and you eat half a baguette’s worth for lunch, just because you can.

Bruschetta

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 baguette

4 tomatoes, diced and seeded*

½ cup basil, julienned

4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

*I almost never advocate seeding your tomatoes because I love tomatoes too much to get rid of any part of them!  However, it is crucial to keep the tomato mixture as dry as possible, which means they need to be seeded and drained.  I know, it’s very sad.

Directions:

Preheat the broiler

1.  Slice the baguette, on the bias, into 3/4 inch thick pieces.  Let this sit out for a while to get stale.  Or, if you don’t want to wait, you can brush a little olive oil on each side of each piece.

2.  Once the bread is ready, spread the pieces out on a cookie sheet and place in the broiler.  You want the bread to toast without browning, so it should take about 2-3 minutes on each side.  Watch it carefully!  Allow the bread to cool before you top it.

3.  Meanwhile, toss the seeded, drained, and diced tomatoes with the basil, vinegar, and oil.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

4.  When the slices of bread are ready, top each slice with a heaping pile of the tomato mixture.  Serve immediately.

Enjoy!