Those ripe rubies were sagging from the vine, just begging to be picked. My mother carefully retrieved the maybe half dozen or so beauties, and cradled them in a straw basket all the way back to the house; another great harvest.What can I say? My parents are proud of our vegetable garden….not to mention our basil, parsley and mint that was thriving on our back porch until cold nights set in.
My dad is so proud of his tomatoes, in fact, that he refuses to share them….at least the good ones. If mom uses the cream of the crop for an appetizer down the street, I wonder if “the end” is near. Those were for our family and our family ONLY, apparently.
Talk about stingy! Don’t we have enough to go around? Still, I guess I can’t blame anyone for wanting to take advantage of tomato season before it’s gone for months on end. Those nasty winter white-tinged ones aren’t exactly worth the price….or worth it at all for that matter.
There’s one exception to my dad’s rule, however; if we’re entertaining at our house, tomato use is fair game-especially for family.
My grandparents were visiting, and apparently those ol’ Floridians don’t advertise their bruchetta well enough because they’d never had it…or even really heard of it.
“Wow. That’s pretty good,” my granddaddy said with a surprised look on his face, in lieu of his dislike of garlic. My dad let out almost like an evil little “grunt chuckle” if that makes any sense, something you’d really have to hear, and scooped up another heaping portion for my granddaddy’s plate. Needless to say, the seasoned home entertainer was pleased.
Try making this bruchetta at home because you’re going to pay a lot less for it than you would at a pricey Italian joint out on the town. Even if you don’t have the basil leaves or tomatoes right outside your door, it’s still worth a try in your own kitchen.
Maggiano’s has some seriously good bruchetta, but trust me when I say this rivals. Keep in mind: this isn’t one of those exact recipes, so go with your gut on amounts.
Ingredients
Baguette or French bread, sliced and toasted
Fresh diced tomatoes
Couple cloves of garlic
Fresh basil leaves, chopped
Balsamic vinegar
Salt & pepper
Olive Oil
Parmesan cheese
1. Start with your bread. Slice it into thin pieces, drizzle with a mixture of olive oil and garlic and toast at 350 degrees till golden. Or, you can grill them, a minute or two on each side, if you’re already using the grill for the rest of your meal. If you’re feeling lazy, buy them pre-made at the grocery store.
2. Mix the tomatoes, two or three fresh garlic cloves (I recommend getting a garlic press because it makes this so much easier than chopping), chopped basil, vinegar and salt and pepper in a bowl. Make sure to get the tomato juice in the bowl, too; this will meld the flavors a bit.
3. Top each baguette round with a spoonful of the tomato mixture; drizzle with olive oil and shredded parmesan cheese. It’ll be a bit spicy with your garlic and pepper, but a bit sweet.
If you’re not a big bruchetta fan but love tomatoes, try making a sandwich with them as your star ingredient. Use a whole wheat bun, sub roll or the bread of your choice. Start with a layer of tomatoes, add some basil and feta cheese, along with your favorite fruity salad dressing like raspberry pomegranate or sweet poppy seed.
Take advantage of this healthy treat before the warm days are over!
And make sure to share yours…your friends will thank you.
Kristin Larmore, a graduate of Appalachian State University, plans to find a full-time job writing in a beautiful city like Chicago, Columbus or St. Louis as soon as possible. She hated tomatoes and anything with tomatoes in it until mid high school. At Olive Garden, it was always, “Buttered noodles, please.”
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