Tomatoes are In, My Bruschetta Recipe

Ripe slicing tomatoes are coming into the farmer’s market, and my cherry and plum tomatoes are finally starting to ripen in the garden.  We’re enjoying the slicers on turkey sandwiches on fresh Italian bread with kosher salt, extra mayo and oregano I dried earlier this summer.  And I’ve been making a ton of our family’s favorite—bruschetta on toasted slices of Italian bread.

Nothing is fresher than bruschetta in summer—and, to me, anyway, nothing tastes better in summer than tomatoes and basil.  Together.  With good olive oil and tangy, fruity balsamic vinegar.  Mmmmm.  I’m getting hungry all over again.

This time I served it with prosciutto, fresh mozzarella and fried eggplant.  I fried the eggplant using my recipe for the best fried zucchini ever, except I cut the eggplant into sticks instead of rounds and added a fair amount of freshly grated parmesan cheese to the breadcrumbs.

Please enjoy my bruschetta recipe and savor the tastes (and aromas!) of summer in your kitchen.  Adjust the ingredients up or down to get just the right amount—the good news is the measurements don’t have to be exact, and you can just go for it without any major consequences.

Kelly’s Bruschetta

Makes two to three servings

Three medium-sized ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced

Half a medium red onion, diced

One large clove of garlic (or more), minced (not the jarred stuff!)

7-8 fresh basil leaves, julienned or rough chopped

1 tbsp good olive oil

2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar (or to taste)

salt & pepper to taste

Half a skinny loaf of Italian or French bread, sliced and toasted

Combine the diced tomatoes, onion, garlic and basil and stir gently.  Drizzle in olive oil and basil, stir gently, then add salt and pepper to taste.  Let it sit at room temperature while you get the rest of your meal together—the flavors meld and get better the longer it sits—but good luck with that.  : )  Best spooned onto slices of toasted bread.