- Laura Cognetti
Tomato Bruschetta
Who else grows basil every summer in their yard? Almost everyone I know becomes a professional gardener come spring time. I don't. I know my limitations - but basil is something that I haven't managed to kill year after year. This year due to all the rain and excessive sunlight my basil has gone completely crazy. I am planning on making some pesto next week, but this week I managed to find the most perfect tomatoes at my local farm stand - Prince's. With Fourth of July coming up I wanted to so something red to fit the Americana color scheme of the day. This dish is super easy, and can be served as a snack, appetizer, on top of grilled chicken or in an omelette. It's pretty much perfect! The use of both red wine and balsamic vinegar in this recipe ensures a great balance of acid. Try it this weekend and let me know how you like it.
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As always, gather up your ingredients. Wash all produce. You are going to want to core and seed your tomatoes to cut down on the amount of water they bring to the dish. The best way to do this is to quarter the tomato, then cut out the soft part and the seeds as you can see above. Next, slice each quarter into thin strips and dice into small pieces. Dice your red onion so that you have 1/3 cup, and mince your two garlic cloves. You will also chiffon the basil, see the pictures below for some tips on how to do that easily.
To chiffon your basil, lay the three clean basil leaves on top of each other. Roll them up, lengthwise, and slice thin pieces from right to left.
Place the diced tomatoes, basil, garlic and red onion in a medium sized bowl. In a small jar, mix together the salt & pepper blend, olive oil and vinegars. Pour over the tomato mixture and toss to coat well. Refrigerate for at least one hour or over night. Serve and enjoy!
Tomato Bruschetta
3 hot house tomatoes
3 large basil leaves
2 garlic cloves
½ small red onion
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon salt & pepper blend
1. Wash produce. Quarter, core, seed and dice tomatoes. Dice onion, you should have about 1/3 cup. Mince garlic. Chiffon basil leaves.
2. Combine diced tomatoes, garlic, red onion and basil in a medium sized bowl. In a small bowl mix together salt & pepper, vinegars and olive oil. Pour over the tomato mixture and combine until well coated.
3. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight. Serve with pita chips or sliced baguette rounds. Enjoy!