A couple of summers ago, I started growing tomatoes. As the granddaughter of an agriculture farmer, I realize that growing things is in my blood, and I can’t get over how much pride I take in growing my own vegetables. There is something so therapeutic about the daily routine of watering, pruning and maybe I even talk to my plants, sometimes (don’t judge). Tomatoes are finicky little suckers and if you’ve ever attempted to grow them yourself, I’m sure you’ve dealt with annoying pests - caterpillars, aphids, white fly….the list goes on. So, making it to harvest is something to celebrate, and if you’re lucky, you will have loads of tomatoes to enjoy and share.

I planted a few varieties this year and I absolutely love to put them all into a bruschetta. This recipe is super simple, and you can make it two ways: with raw or cooked tomatoes. I honestly love both and can’t really decide which is better. What do you think?

Brusketta

1 lb. tomatoes (any variety, size, just cut into smaller morsels)

10-12 leaves of basil

1-2 cloves garlic

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar (optional - I like it both with and without)

salt and pepper to taste

1 baguette

As I mentioned above you can make your brusketta one of two ways: raw or cooked. For the raw version, just slice the tomatoes into small pieces, chop garlic into fine pieces or mince, and stack the basil leaves up and roll them like a cigar and slice thin. Mix everything into a bowl and add the olive oil, vinegar (if using) and salt and pepper. Combine and let sit for about an hour for flavors to meld.

Slice baguette into 1/2-inch slices and lay them on a baking sheet, toast the first side in the oven on broil until golden brown. Pull the baking sheet out and flip the baguette pieces, next, paint a thin coat of olive oil on the non-toasted side and throw back under the broiler until golden brown. I like to put the bruschetta in a bowl with a spoon and let people make their own bruschetta bites. This prevents them from getting soggy too.

If you want to try the cooked version — take and score each tomato with a knife by making an “x” on the bottom or top of each tomato. In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Once boiling, remove the pot from the heat and drop the tomatoes in for about 60 seconds. Remove immediately and once cool, chop and follow the same recipe as above. Enjoy!

Mmmm brusketta…

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