Tomato Tomatoe

tomato bruschetta

Bruschetta has always been a staple dish in my house. My family and I especially love making bruschetta in the summer when tomatoes are at their peak. Bruschetta is a simple and versatile Italian dish. Many variations of bruschetta can be found all over Italy. Bruschetta dates back to ancient Rome where peasants would make use of stale bread by grilling it over an open fire. It would be simply prepared by drizzling olive oil over the bread and then rubbing garlic over the hot bread once it finished cooking. Sometimes a sprinkle of salt would be added.

When you travel to different regions in Italy, you will see that each region has its own way of preparing bruschetta. In Puglia it’s often prepared with tomatoes, oregano, pecorino or burrata. In Tuscany the traditional toppings are tomato, basil and olive oil. If you travel to Sicily, they often add anchovies and capers which gives the bruschetta an umami flavor. Bruschetta is a great way to experiment with different topping combinations, just take some inspiration from the Italians!

In my house, we probably make it at least once a week. The tomatoes are sweet and vibrant and all you need is really good quality extra virgin olive oil. Italian food is all about using simple and good quality ingredients. You can choose to chop the tomatoes into small pieces and mix them with fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil and flaky salt, or you can simply slice the tomatoes and add them to the bread. Both are great options and it’s an effortless appetizer that is always a crowd pleaser during the summer months.

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tomato bruschetta

Ingredients

• 1 baguette
• 4-6 medium ripe tomatoes (depending on the size you may need more)
• extra virgin olive oil
• Stracciatella cheese (or fresh mozzarella if you can’t find stracciatella)
• Fresh basil
• Flaky salt

Directions

1. Slice the baguette and brush both sides with olive oil. Bake in the oven at 325° F for 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway through.
2. To assemble, add a small spoonful of Stracciatella cheese to each slice of baguette. Add slices of tomatoes (cut in half to fit the baguette) or you can chop the tomatoes. Drizzle each piece of the bruschetta with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with flaky salt and add torn fresh basil on top.

Notes

1. You can rub the hot bread with garlic if you want to add more flavor. This is optional.