Using summer's luscious tomatoes, bruschetta is a delicious and light summer appetizer or light lunch to enjoy when it's too hot to prepare a big meal.
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove fresh garlic, minced
- 4 to 5 Roma tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, or more to taste
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup basil, chopped into ribbons
- 1 loaf hearty French bread, sliced into 1/2-inch thick slices
Fill a pot of water, enough to cover the tomatoes; bring to boil. Score the tomatoes with an X. Blanch them by putting tomatoes into boiling water for 1 minute and then removing them to an ice water bath.
While tomatoes are resting in the ice bath, preheat stove top grill to medium heat.
Remove tomatoes from ice bath, drain. Remove tomato skins with a knife. Give tomatoes a rough chop, cutting out the cores as you go. Add to a bowl. Add minced garlic, Parmesan cheese, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, olive oil, and chopped basil, reserving half of the basil for topping. Toss ingredients together.
Drizzle olive oil on bread slices and add to grill. Watch closely until grill marks begin to appear. Remove from grill.
Spoon tomato mixture onto each slice of toasted bread. Top with remaining fresh basil. Enjoy!
You can also use mozzarella cheese or a different kind of bread. Bruschetta is best served right away but will keep in the refrigerator for a few days.
