Bruschetta

Bruschetta….we might disagree on the pronunciation, but we can all agree that it tastes fabulous!

Once upon a time, I pronounced this dish incorrectly.  And I’ve long since learned the correct pronunciation. But you know what hasn’t changed in all that time?  My love for this tasty snacketizer.

It’s such a simple idea.  Toasted bread, fresh parmesan, and an herbed tomato mix on top.  So simple, yet so delicious.

A Note on Ingredients

Fair warning that Bruschetta will taste phenomenal with fresh tomatoes, basil, and homemade French bread, baguette, or Italian bread.  However, if you are missing any or all of these, do not despair.  It will still taste great.

• Tomatoes–Pick the fresh, perfectly ripe tomatoes.  Apparently, it’s National Tomato Month….so there’s that.
• Basil–if you have fresh that’s great…simply chiffonade to get the right amount (use more with fresh).  If using dry, sprinkle in a bit at a time until you get the right taste.  And remember that dried herbs take a little time to bloom, so crush them in the palm of your hand before adding, stir them in, and let the mixture sit for a couple of minutes before you taste test.
• Garlic Powder–yes, you can use fresh, but I personally I don’t like to bite into raw garlic so I use the powder.
• Olive Oil–I just put in enough so that I can tell each piece of tomato is bathed but not swimming in it.
• Red Wine Vinegar–I love this!  I put in more vinegar than oil, but I still don’t have the whole thing swimming in it.
• Baguettes (or Italian or French bread)–if you can help it, don’t buy the ones that are really flat on top.  When you slice it, you are creating a little bread plate for your tomatoes so a flat baguette will make for a narrow plate.  Find the roundest ones you can.
• Parmesan Cheese–I really must insist <wink> that you buy the lovely triangular cheese and grate it on the large holes using your cheese grater.  The powdered stuff in a can will NOT give you the same tasty results.  And the preshredded is just not very soft.

A Quick Note on How I Like to Assemble It

I grab a toasted baguette slice. Sprinkle on the grated cheese. Spoon the tomato mixture on top (yes, it is messy and you had better be doing this over a plate). Sprinkle a little bit of salt over the top, if needed. Then, take a crunchy bite and enjoy.  It’s so, so good!

If you’re a person who has to have measurements, I have bad news for you.  I don’t have any listed.  I find that this is highly personal to what you like.  And it also depends on which tomatoes you use and how watery they might be.  Just play, give it a taste, and customize the amounts.  Pretend you’re a wise, Italian nonna who’s been doing this for years.  Channel your inner Italian chef!

If you’d like to make this as an appetizer, maybe try this pasta dish as your main course. Or, make a whole meal out of this delicious dish.

 

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