I love making bruschetta! Its so easy and so good! Most times I make it as an appetizer but I have definitely been known to eat just this for dinner too!

A few notes about this recipe: It is always best when you can get fresh tomatoes but unfortunately we don’t have those year-round so hot house tomatoes will work too. I also like to use fresh herbs when I can. I have my own herb garden at the house so in the spring and summer I just pop out back and grab some fresh basil, oregano, and thyme. If you don’t have access to fresh herbs at home or don’t want to spend the money on store bought fresh herbs, the the dried stuff will definitely work well too.

Basic Bruschetta

Ingredients

• 3 cups of diced tomatoes (about 3 medium-large tomatoes, or 6-8 Roma tomatoes)
• 1/2 of a cucumber, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/2 of a small red onion, finely chopped
• 1 rib of celery, finely chopped
• ~ 1-3 tablespoons of Italian herbs/seasonings
• ~ 1 teaspoon of garlic powder or garlic salt
• ~ 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
• ~ 1/4 – 1/2 of a cup of balsamic vinegar
• baguette, sliced into 1 cm thick slices
• olive oil
• shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

In a bowl, add the celery, onion, cucumber, Italian seasonings and garlic. Drizzle the olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the mixture and toss to combine. Add the diced tomatoes to the bowl and gently toss to combine as not to bruise or crush the tomatoes. Refrigerate for several hours before serving.

When ready to serve, drizzle the baguette slices lightly with olive oil and toast in a 400 degree oven until slightly golden brown.  Pull the baguette slices out of the oven. sprinkle with the shredded Parmesan cheese, and put back them back in the oven until perfectly melty!

Top the cheesy baguette slices with the herbed tomato mixture and enjoy!!

 

Much Love,

M