Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta ~ why do we feel like we have to reinvent the wheel every time we have friends over? I mean, the Italians have already done it, bruschetta is the perfect party appetizer, and in summer when fabulous tomatoes are coming at us fast and furious, there's no earthly reason to do anything else.
1fresh French or Italian style baguettesliced into 1/2 inch slices, on the diagonal
assorted heirloom tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
extra virgin olive oil
salt and fresh cracked black pepper
fresh basil
balsamic vinegar
Instructions
Brush both sides of the sliced bread generously with olive oil. Toast the bread on a hot grill or grill pan on the stove top. Toast both sides until you get a golden color and a little bit of charring. Set the bread aside. (You can do this ahead of time if you like.)
Use your sharpest knife to finely chop the tomatoes. You want the dice to be small enough so that the chopped tomatoes fit on the small pieces of bread without tumbling off. Keep the different colored tomatoes in separate bowls. Drizzle olive oil over each bowl, add a pinch of salt and pepper, and toss.
Just before you are ready to serve, top each toast with a heap of the tomatoes, allowing a little of the juice to come along as well, that will soak into and flavor the bread. Top with the shredded basil and a tiny drizzle of balsamic vinegar. I like to add fresh cracked black pepper as the final touch.