I am currently enjoying the summer in Ecuador. It’s great to be back after almost 3 years and I am so lucky that I get to spend the whole summer here. I tasted many delicious local dishes that I will re-create once I get back to the US. But, I also really miss the summer in Seattle – especially all the amazing local summer vegetables and fruits. I have some recipes from past summers that I didn’t have time to post previously. So I am taking advantage of this vacation to finally post them. This recipe for tomato bruschetta makes me especially nostalgic as it uses heirloom tomatoes. I haven’t seen them here (even though the tomatoes are delicious in Ecuador). The recipe is my Italian friend Rossana’s family recipe for tomato bruschetta antipasto, which means appetizer. It reminds me of the great times and delicious meals we had during past summers in Seattle.
Easy tomato bruschetta recipe made with cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and basil. This classic Italian antipasto makes for a delicious appetizer.
Ingredients
- 4 cups of cherry tomatoes, heirloom or regular
- 3-4 garlic cloves, lightly crushed but still whole
- 2 tbs olive oil
- Handful of fresh basil leaves or 2 tsp dried crushed basil
- Salt to taste
- Lightly toasted bread slices rubbed with garlic and fresh basil/thyme to garnish
Instructions
- Cut the cherry tomatoes into halves or quarters, depending on their size.
- Mix the cut cherry tomatoes, the lightly crushed garlic cloves, olive oil, basil and salt in bowl.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, overnight is ideal.
- Remove the fresh basil leaves and garlic cloves. Serve on top of lightly toasted bread slices that have been rubbed with a garlic clove. Garnish with fresh basil or thyme.
Bruschetta is a popular Italian appetizer that is usually made with tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and basil and is served on garlic toast. There are many different versions of bruschetta, but this one is my favorite. Rossana’s bruschetta recipe is delicious but also very simple and easy to make. Rossana is the coolest Italian person I know. Actually, she is overall one of the coolest people I know, period. She’s a great person and is also very fun to hang out with or play tennis with. You will learn a lot of interesting Italian vocabulary if you do the latter. Rossana and I also love to cook. I’ve shared her amazing recipe for tiramisu before and will likely post more of the recipes she has taught me later on.
This tomato bruschetta is a perfect appetizer for summer. You can make it year round, but tomatoes taste so much sweeter during the summer months. You can make this bruschetta with regular cherry tomatoes. Alternatively, making it with colorful heirloom cherry tomatoes gives it a vibrant & fun look. Rossana recommends removing crushed garlic cloves before serving. Sometimes I crush one of the cloves in the garlic press and add it for an extra kick. The bread will also have some garlic on it, so even without the extra garlic it’s still garlicky. To make the garlic toast, just take a whole garlic clove and rub on the toasted pieces of bread.
Step by step preparation photos for Italian tomato bruschetta
Paz says
July 20, 2012 at 1:33 pmLovely! Have a wonderful summer!
Carmen says
July 17, 2012 at 1:08 amSimple y esta buenisima!