Bruschetta

Ingredients

• 7 ripe plum tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• 6-8 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced or chopped
• 1 tsp. salt, more or less to taste
• ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, more or less to taste
• 1 baguette French bread or similar Italian bread
• ¼ cup olive oil

Directions

Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. As the water is heating make sallow cuts in a cross pattern at the tip ends of the tomatoes (this will make the tomatoes easier to peel). Once the water is boiling, remove the pot from the heat. Put the tomatoes in the hot water and blanch for 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and let sit until cool enough to handle. Then gently peel off the tomato skins. Cut out the stem base with a paring knife. Cut the tomatoes into halves or quarters and squeeze out most of the juices and seeds.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the top slot of the oven. Finely chop the tomatoes and place them in a medium bowl. Mix in the minced garlic, 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, and the balsamic vinegar. Stir in the thinly sliced basil and add salt and freshly ground black pepper, adding more to taste.

Use a bread knife to slice the baguette on the diagonal making half-inch thick slices. Brush one side of each slice with olive oil (a pastry brush helps here) and place olive oil-side down on a baking sheet or roasting pan. The baguette slices will toast best in the top rack of your oven, so you may need to work in batches to toast them all. When the oven has reached 450°F (230°C) place the slices in the oven on the top rack and toast for 5 to 6 minutes until lightly browned around the edges.

Arrange the toasted bread on a platter, olive oil side facing up (the olive oil will help create a temporary barrier keeping the bread from getting soggy from the chopped tomatoes). Either serve the toasts plain with a bowl of the tomato bruschetta mixture on the side for people to top their own, or use a spoon to gently top each toasted bread slice with some of the tomato mixture. If you top each slice individually, do it right before serving.

Yield: 24