Healthy: Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil

Bruschetta is an Italian appetizer that focuses on letting fresh ingredients be fresh ingredients and deliver a big punch of flavor. It's simple to make and should not be over-thought or made overly complex by shoving in other ingredients. It's just tomato, balsamic vinegar, garlic and basil (ok, and a little salt and pepper) served on toast that has been brushed with olive oil and garlic. It should be light and flavorful by using a handful of fresh ingredients. It's a great option for a summer harvest of tomatoes, especially if you can find heirloom varieties that pack a bigger punch than the bland tomatoes you find at supermarkets. Some people opt to include cheese, olives and so forth but I do not find these additions necessary if quality ingredients are used.

You typically find bruschetta recipes calling for roma tomatoes (or plum tomatoes, of which roma is a variety) but I tend to opt for beefsteak-type tomatoes (aka slicing tomatoes or slicer tomatoes) that have less liquid and a meatier texture so the tomato doesn't turn to mush quite as easily.  Avoid any tomato that is too juicy because you'll get a cold tomato stew rather than a bruschetta that you can pile on a piece of toast. As I said, I really prefer heirloom varieties that pack a big punch but their availability depends upon the content of your home garden plus whatever you can find at local farmer's markets. Sometimes the supermarkets carry a beefsteak variety or two during the late summer when the tomato harvest occurs.

White garlic is universal in grocery stores but there are interesting heirloom garlic varieties if you can find them (or grow them). I do recommend using fresh garlic and mincing it rather than using the jar stuff or worse, garlic powder. I don't mind using the pre-minced stuff out of the jar for some purposes but I find it doesn't work as well in dishes with less cook time.

Sweet basil (aka Italian basil) is the go-to basil in an Italian dish but do not be afraid to go with a different variety. Sweet basil can be fickle to grow while other bush varieties are incredibly easy to grow. I grow Thai basil and find it works well 90% of the time in Italian food. It has a bolder licorice/anise flavor to it which adds a nice punch to the bruschetta.

Balsamic vinegar. There are basically three types of balsamic vinegar: (1) the traditional and extremely expensive stuff; (2) the commercial grade less expensive stuff; and (3) completely fake stuff that is dirt cheap. Balsamic vinegar is made from pressed grape juice from Trebbiano grapes and then aged in barrels of different types of wood. The traditional and very expensive stuff is aged in a sequence of barrels for at least twelve years. Commercial grade balsamic is sold as "aceto balsamico di Modeno" or "balsamic vinegar from Modena". It is also made from Trebbiano grapes but it is not aged as long and typically is not aged in a sequence of different types of wood. The fake stuff is red wine vinegar with caramel coloring and sugar added to taste kind of like balsamic vinegar. Spend $10 and spring for the commercial grade stuff.

Bruschetta is typically served on toast brushed with olive oil and garlic and that is a tasty way to eat it. However, if you want to avoid some of the carbs you can enjoy it with lettuce or as a condiment on eggs, salads and so forth. Don't feel trapped into eating all the carbs.

Typically recipes call for removing the skin from the tomato and squeezing out the seeds and juice. I prefer to omit these steps. I try to use less juicy tomatoes where there is no need to squeeze and destroy the structure of the tomato and I think the skin adds texture and flavor. If you want you can quickly blanch the tomatoes and peel the skin.

Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil Recipe

Details:

Servings: Enough to serve with 24 slices of a baguette
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

Equipment:

• Oven
• Sauce pan
• Mixing bowl
• Kitchen utensils, measuring cups and spoons
• Knife and cutting board
• Pastry brush (optional)
• Baking sheet

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb. tomatoes
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 6-8 fresh leaves of Italian basil (or a comparable amount of Thai basil)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 baguette French bread or Italian bread
• 1/4 cup olive oil for bread (optional)

Directions:

1. Remove the core of the tomatoes and chop the remaining fruit into small cubes.
2. Preheat the oven to 450F. 
3. Mince 2 of the garlic cloves and mix with the tomatoes, 1 tbsp olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a mixing bowl.
4. Chop the basil into thin slices.
5. Add the basil, salt and pepper to the mixing bowl. Mix well and taste. If necessary, add more salt and/or pepper.
6. Cut remaining garlic cloves in half.
7. Slice bread into half-inch thick slices. Rub one of the garlic cloves with the cut side of the clove on each slice. Give it a good coating of garlic. As the garlic wears down move on to another clove. 
8. In addition to or instead of the last step, brush a thin coat of olive oil on the side of each slice where you rubbed the garlic.
9. Place the slices olive oil/garlic side down on a baking sheet. 
10. Toast bread in oven on the top rack for 5-6 minutes until lightly browned on the edges.
11. Serve bread on plate with bowl of bruschetta.

Bruschetta will stay good in the fridge for several days. You may find an increasing amount of liquid pooled in the bottom of the container. You can drain and discard or drink as a nice light tomato juice.