Bruschetta with Roma Tomatoes
Bruschetta is an Italian appetizer perfect to serve at parties or to make any time for a simple and savoury snack. Fresh flavours of tomatoes, basil, garlic and balsamic vinegar make an ideal topping for lightly grilled slices of french bread. Delicious!
Ingredients
1 loaf French bread, sliced diagonally into ¼ inch pieces
8 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
⅓ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 teaspoon minced shallots for a milder flavour)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, basil, 2 teaspoons olive oil, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic or shallots, and salt and pepper. Set aside for at least one hour to allow flavours to combine. (Can be made in advance and chilled.)
- Preheat oven to 400 F
- Lightly brush slices of bread with olive oil on both sides
- Toast on a baking sheet for about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
If serving immediately, top grilled bread with bruschetta mixture. Otherwise serve bruschetta topping separately in a bowl.
Optional variation: You can omit the garlic or shallots from the recipe and add some subtle garlic flavour by lightly rubbing toasted slices of bread with a raw garlic clove cut in half.
