Cherry Tomato Bruschetta

Often the beauty of something is in the simplicity of it and Bruschetta is no exception. It is an Italian appetizer which consists of bread which is roasted and rubbed with garlic, brushed with olive oil and topped with any toppings of your choice. The toppings may range from simple mashed cannelini beans, roasted red peppers to the tomato and basil topping that most of us are familiar with. And even with the tomato and basil bruschetta, sky is the limit with what else can be added to it. I have seen recipes with a variety of cheeses, olives, bacon, onion, mayonnaise ...... you name it! I love my tomato bruschetta in the simplest form - with basil, olive oil and salt. But even I will do the occasional experimentation and often end up substituting pesto for the fresh basil or adding a cheese to it. I'll encourage you to be creative and come up with a recipe which feels right to you.

✅ INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups cherry tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin Olive Oil
• 2 tsp chopped fresh basil leaves
• crushed sea salt to taste
• Bread - sliced (thin or thick depending on how you like it)
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano Reggiano. 

✅ INSTRUCTIONS

1. Wash and chop cherry tomatoes. Add the basil, cheese and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Mix well and let sit in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours.
2. When you're ready to make the bruschetta, take out the tomatoes, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, sea salt and let it sit for 10-15 minutes till it comes to room temperature and the tomatoes release some of the juices. 
3. Toast lightly the sliced bread on a grill or in the oven. Rub a  clove of garlic on the pieces. 
4. Spoon the bruschetta mix on the bread slices making sure that some of the juice goes on each slice. Serve and enjoy!

For me, there are a few must haves in Bruschetta.

• Good quality Extra Virgin olive oil. I don't care for a bruschetta that does not have the fruity flavor of extra virgin olive oil.

• Ripe, juicy, delicious tomatoes. Since this is a tomato dish, the choice of tomatoes will make or break your bruschetta. Refrain from using the ordinary supermarket tomatoes which are make do for your daily curries where an additional spoonful of tomato paste can make up for the lack of flavor and color. Good quality roma, beefsteak or Japanese tomatoes can be used. For this dish, my usual choice is cherry tomatoes. They are easy to find all year round, juicy, sweet, red and very very tasty! Sometimes I mix red and yellow cherry tomatoes to add an extra dash of color.

• Sea salt. Only recently have I discovered the brilliance of sea salt. I just love it! I am ok to put the regular table salt in my curries and other daily cooking but when it comes to topping up appetizers etc with salt, it has to be crushed sea salt. One has to try using sea salt once to realize the difference it makes and it converts you! Maybe somewhere down the line, I will start using it for my everyday cooking too.  For now I am happy to use this to give saltiness to my bruschetta.

• Quality of Bread. This is not the time to use your supermarket loaf of sandwich bread. For good bruschetta, it has to be a good quality baguette, crusty Italian loaf, Ciabatta or foccaccia. These are all the breads that I have used. Any recommendations for other breads is welcome :) The bread also determines whether or how I will toast it. If I am cooking for a big group, I will skip the toasting and rubbing garlic. If the bread has been outside for long, it may get too hard also. I prefer to not  toast this bread and use directly for the bruschetta.

Jyotsna

👇👇👇 Our android app(Click Image) 👇👇👇

View my Flipboard Magazine.

View the original article here

Share on Google Plus

About Wanni Arachchige Udara Madusanka Perera

Hey, I'm Perera! I will try to give you technology reviews(mobile,gadgets,smart watch & other technology things), Automobiles, News and entertainment for built up your knowledge.