SIMPLE HOMEMADE BRUSCHETTA

This time of year it seems the garden is bursting with home-grown tomatoes and I couldn't be more thrilled. My husband jokes that each year I add another tomato plant to the mix and it's true! Fresh tomatoes from the garden taste so different than store bought tomatoes!

This is one of those non-recipes that I don't measure anything for and it comes out a bit different each time. Anyway you make it though, it's absolutely delicious. It's a sure crowd pleaser with minimal effort required on your part, too! My larger tomatoes are still green, so I used grape tomatoes this time around. I'm a big fan of using what you have on hand and adjusting the recipe to please your family.

Simple Homemade Bruschetta

1/2 cup diced fresh tomatoes
2 TBSP fresh basil, torn into pieces
1 TBSP Balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp minced garlic
2 TBSP grated Parmesan cheese
a couple dashes of coarse salt
fresh mozzarella pearls {optional, but worth the added cost if it's in the budget!}
about 1/4 cup olive oil
6 slices of french bread

Combine the tomatoes, basil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, Parmesan cheese and salt. Many recipes state to allow the flavors to meld in the fridge for a few hours. This is ideal of course, but I even if it sits for 20 minutes prior to serving, it tastes wonderful.

Preheat the oven to broil.

While the tomato mixture is chilling, slice the bread, arrange on a baking sheet and drizzle olive oil on top. I pour my oil in a small bowl and brush it on to get a more even coating. Once the oven is adequately heated, put the bread in and keep a close eye! It only takes a few minutes to toast the bread a nice golden brown.

Take the bread out and let it cool for a couple minutes. Arrange the mozzarella pearls on each slice. Depending on how big your slices are, you'll use 1-4 pearls each.

Stir the tomato mixture and spoon about 1-2 TBSP on each slice of bread. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!