BRUSCHETTA

Bruschetta! Crispy bread lathered with olive oil, tomatoes, garlic…and a few other fresh ingredients I added…how yummy does that sound? I had way too many of these today…so incredibly addicting! This recipe sort of reminds me of my Panzanella Salad.

The key to this recipe is in the knife cuts…you want to try to cut the tomatoes as tiny as you can…and the garlic…mince, mince, mince…no one wants to bite into a huge chunk of garlic. It’s a super easy recipe…you can gather all of the ingredients in a bowl while the bread is toasting in the oven.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cut approximately 12 pieces of bread on the bias. I cut mine at least an inch to an inch and a half thick. I used a cast iron pan to toast mine…feel free just to use a pan. Drizzle just a little bit of olive oil on the bottom of the pan. Spread the bread slices on the pan and drizzle the top with a touch more olive oil. Some like to rub a garlic clove on the bread before toasting…I did not…I think there is enough garlic flavor in the tomato mixture.

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Bake until both sides are a nice golden brown. I turned on the broiler at the end just to toast up the tops of the bread slices.

While the bread is toasting. Cut up the tomatoes…I took out most of the seeds…and place in a bowl with the olive oil. Season with kosher salt and pepper.

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Add the garlic, red onion, and basil.

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Sprinkle in just a dash or two of the red pepper flakes. Add the balsamic vinegar and mix well. Taste to see if you need additional salt.

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Arrange the toasted bread on a plate or platter. Top with the tomato mixture. Garnish each with a fresh mozzarella pearl and a few extra chiffonades of basil.

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The bruschetta can be served immediately or within an hour or so…the bread is so toasty that it will not turn soggy! ENJOY!