Passport & Plate - Juicy Tomato Bruschetta
Italy | Thursday, February 6, 2014 | 4 photos
Ingredients
Loaf of fresh bread (French will work but a hearty Italian is better)
1 cup diced tomatoes
¼ cup fresh basil
Olive oil
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
Salt and pepper
How to prepare this recipeMove the rack in the oven so that it’s directly underneath the top. Turn on your broiler.
Cut your load of bread into thick slices (about 1 inch thick- any less than that and they’ll burn). Brush olive oil on each side, then place on a baking pan under the broiler for 1-3 minutes. Watch carefully- it’s a thin line between toasty and charred! Once they look appropriately browned and delicious remove from oven.
Peel a clove of garlic and rub the surface all along the top-side of the toasted bread, almost like you are grating it.
Throw the diced tomatoes into a bowl along with any juices that spill out. Chiffonade basil and mix into the bowl along with a little salt and pepper. You can add some chopped garlic too if you’re into that.
Scoop tomato mixture onto the warm bread. Add balsamic vinegar if desired.
The story behind this recipeThe recipe I chose is incredibly simple, but that is the beauty of it. It is so easy that even the most kitchen adverse teenager could pull it together, but the real secret to making it spectacular isn't the technique, it's the ingredients.
Bruschetta is an easy gateway to falling in love with Italian cuisine. I know, because it is what drew me in.
Last winter I visited Rome with my fiance. It was his first time, my second, yet I was the one who could barely contain myself as I bounced between gelato shops and the Forum. In the local Roman neighborhood of Trastevere we toured the market where colorful produce and marbled meats somehow emitted a healthy glow, even under the unflattering fluorescent light. It was here that our guide walked us through the simple steps to making the perfect tomato bruschetta.
There are a couple differences between Roman bruschetta and the way bruschetta is usually made in the United States. For starters, the bread is sprinkled with olive oil before it's toasted so that it bakes into the bread. Then, garlic is rubbed across the bread, to give just a hint of flavor but not overpower the tomato. Both of these steps ensure that you taste all of the rich flavors.
Bruschetta in Italy tastes lush and juicy, it's summer in a small bite. The crunchy fresh bread, vine ripe tomatoes and pure unadulterated olive oil combine in a perfect balance. It's hard to reproduce the quality of these ingredients, but if you can do it, then you can experience the tiniest bit of Italy in your own kitchen.
