Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil

Ah, the love of summer. Italian bruschetta "brusketta" is a great way to capture the flavors of ripe summer tomatoes, fresh garden basil, and garlic. I love this time of the year. I will be off to the farmers market in Davenport Iowa today. My tomatos were a bust this season...the deer liked them.

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INGREDIENTS

• 6 or 7 ripe plum tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped.
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1 baguette French bread or similar Italian bread
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Let's cook

1 Take the tomatoes, cut them in halves or quarters and remove the seeds and juice from their centers. Also cut out and discard the stem area. I like plum tomatoes instead of regular tomatoes. The skins are much thicker and there are fewer seeds and less juice.

2 Turn on the oven to 450°F to preheat.

3 While the oven is heating, chop up the tomatoes finely. Put tomatoes, garlic, 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, vinegar in a bowl and mix. Add the chopped basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4 Slice the baguette on a diagonal about 1/2 inch thick slices. Coat one side of each slice with olive oil using a pastry brush. Place on a cooking sheet, olive oil side down. Once the oven has reached 450°F, place a tray of bread slices in the oven on the top rack. Toast for 5-6 minutes, until the bread just begins to turn nice and golden brown.

5 Place the bread on a serving platter, olive oil side up. Place some topping on each slice of bread and serve. If you top each slice with the tomatoes, do it right before serving or the bread may get soggy.

I like to top them with a small ball of fresh mozzarella and a drizzle of Balsamic Reduction. Go lillydiabetes,com go the the Virtual Kitchen and click on Caramelized Salmon with Fruit Salsa

Bon Appetit