Recipe: Tomato Bruschetta with Six Variations

Recipes title

Tomato Bruschetta with Six Variations

Serves 6-8

Italian by tradition, this simple appetizer has become immensely popular in the United States, where it appears on menus, in cookbooks, at backyards barbecues, all for good reason: It is delicious, and one of the best and simplest uses of summer tomatoes.

1 loaf country-style bread (sourdough, Italian, etc.), cut into thick slices
Several cloves of garlic, cut in half
3 medium ripe red tomatoes
Best-quality extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper in a mill

Grill or toast the bread. While it is cooking, peel and seed the tomatoes, chop them coarsely, and season with a little salt and a few turns of black pepper. Rub one side of each slice of bread with a piece of garlic and place the bread on a large platter. Drizzle each slice of bread with a generous tablespoon of olive oil and top with a large spoonful of the chopped tomatoes Serve immediately.

Variations:

Anchovy: Drape each slice of finished bruschetta with an anchovy filet
Mozzarella:While toasting or grilling the bread, top each piece (after turning once) with a thin slice of fresh mozzarella.
Cherry Tomatoes & Chives: Instead of using large tomatoes, cut cherry tomatoes or small pear tomatoes in half and scatter them over the bruschetta. Top with fresh snipped chives.
Red Onions: Add 1 small red onion, minced, to the tomatoes. Top with finely chopped Italian parsley.
Slice several leaves of basil into very thin strips and sprinkle them on the bruschetta just before serving.
Balsamic Vinegar: Add 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar to the tomatoes and top the bruschetta with a mix of fresh herbs (Italian parsley, oregano, thyme).