Ingredients: |
Ingredients: 6 or 7 ripe tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs)
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
2 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 Cup Parmesan cheese
6 to 8 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced* or chopped
3/4 teaspoon sea salt, more or less to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more or less to taste
1 baguette French bread or similar Italian bread
1/4 Cup olive oil
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
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Directions: |
Directions:Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C) with a rack in the top slot of the oven.
Chop tomatoes into small pieces, toss them in a medium bowl, with garlic, olive oil, vinegar, basil, cheese, salt and pepper.
Stir in the thinly sliced basil and add salt and freshly ground black pepper, adding more to taste. Note, tomatoes love salt; you may need to add more than you expect, you may want to use less cheese and taste and add to your liking.
Use a bread knife to slice the baguette on the diagonal making half-inch thick slices. Mix the oil Italian seasoning, cheese and salt and pepper together. Brush both sides of each slice with the oil mixture (a pastry brush helps here) and place 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 place the slices in the oven on the top rack and toast for 5 to 6 minutes until lightly browned, turn and brown the other side.
Arrange the toasted bread on a platter. 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. |
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