It’s tomato season and time to overdose on bruschetta! I’ve made bruschetta at least a hundred times and while the ingredients are simple, getting the right combination of tomatoes, basil, garlic, and oil just right sometimes seems like a challenge.
My newest “fool proof” recipe starts with cherry tomatoes. My absolute favorite tomatoes are from Van Leer’s Fruit Farm in Capron, Illinois. Van Leer’s is a regular at the Aurora Farmer’s Market and the first time I saw their tomatoes, I fell in love. They are both beautiful and delicious and when you pair these with their incredible homemade bread, there is nothing better. Their Asiago Parmesean and their Italian Herb breads are my favorites!
I slice the cherry tomatoes in quarters, depending on the size of the tomato, and then let the tomatoes sit in a mesh colander placed in bowl in the refrigerator for a few hours. Before refrigerating, I season the tomatoes with kosher salt (use more than you think you need). Right before I’m ready to serve them, I take them out of the refrigerator, discard the juice in the bowl, and mix the tomatoes with fresh basil and the best olive oil I have in my pantry. For brushchetta, I’m loving Molini’s Monocultivar Nocellara organic extra virgin olive oil. The Nocellara olive is a native of Sicily and has a nice balance of bitter and spice.
I do not add garlic to my bruschetta, however, I always roast garlic and serve that alongside the bruschetta. Roasted garlic is super easy and the garlic comes out soft and sweet. Just cut the top of a bulb of garlic (not the root end) and drizzle it with olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper. Wrap it in foil and roast at 400 degrees for about an hour. Let the garlic cool slightly, then squeeze it out of the bulb and mash the garlic together. A little goes a long way, so all you need is a light spread of garlic on toasted bread topped with bruschetta and you have a wonderful first course.