Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta

Recipe by The View From the Great Island

Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta ~ an easy and healthy Italian appetizer, these tomato crostini are perfect for a Mediterranean tapas menu.

Ingredients

• 1 fresh French or Italian style baguette, sliced 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

Method

1. 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.)
2. 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.
3. 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.

View the recipe instructions at The View From the Great Island