Tomato & Herb Bruschetta
A basic bruschetta would simply be toasted crusty bread seasoned with olive oil, garlic and salt, but there are many variations and this is one of my favorites. It takes about 10 minutes to throw together and makes a delicious light lunch, or a fancy starter for two that will leave any guest thinking you’re a professional chef!
Ingredients
1 large, ripe tomato or 8-10 of the small salad tomatoes in your box this week
1 six-inch piece of french bread
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
a mix of fresh Mediterranean herbs of your choice (basil, thyme, rosemary, parsley, oregano, sage, etc) I used one large stem of basil leaves and the tip of a sprig of rosemary for this version, but whatever you’ve got in the garden will do.
half a clove of garlic
a few pinches of salt
Method
Finely dice the tomato and the herbs then mix them together on your cutting board with your knife. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and run your knife through the mixture a few times to really blend the flavors of the herbs with the tomato.
Move the mixture into a small bowl and add your balsamic vinegar.
In the meantime, cut your stick of french bread in half lengthwise and toast it until it starts to turn a golden brown.
Peel and halve your garlic, then drizzle 1 Tbsp of olive oil (or more if you like) on each half of the bred and rub the cut side of the bread thoroughly with the garlic. The rough, toasted surface of the baguette will grate the garlic as you rub it over and really absorb the flavor. Don’t ask me why it works this way, but trust me, it just isn’t the same if you simply mix chopped garlic in with the tomato.
Sprinkle each half of the bread with a pinch of salt and then spoon the tomato mixture evenly over both. I try to drain away any excess water that has accumulated in the bowl with the tomato mixture before spooning it over the bread to stop everything getting too soggy.
The olive oil will protect the bread a little from the liquid in the vegetables, but not for long, so make sure to serve this within a couple of minutes of adding the topping.