Bruschetta

YIELD 4 servings

ACTIVE TIME 15 min

TOTAL TIME 35 min

INGREDIENTS

• 6 or 7 ripe plum tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs)

• 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)

• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

• 6 to 8 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced* or chopped

• 1 teaspoon kosher 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 (60 ml) olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. As the water is heating make shallow 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Finely chop tomatoes mix tomatoes with basil and garlic

5. Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C) with a rack in the top slot of the oven.

6. 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. Note, tomatoes love salt; you may need to add more than you expect.

7. Slice the baguette diagonally in ¼ inch sliced. Brush one side of each slice with Olive oil. Place the slices on a pan, Olive oil side DOWN. Place the slices in the oven on the top rack and toast for 5 to 6 minutes until lightly browned around the edges.

8. 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.

NUTRITION

Calories 38.5

Total Fat 2.6 g

Saturated Fat 0.4 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.4 g

Monounsaturated Fat 1.7 g

Cholesterol 0.0 mg

Sodium 7.5 mg

Potassium 167.7 mg

Total Carbohydrate 4.0 g

Dietary Fiber 0.8 g

Sugars 0.3 g

Protein 0.7 g