Tomato Basil Bruschetta

My love for Italian Bruschetta has doubled since our trip to Italy- there are so many vegeterian and non- vegeterian kinds to explore and taste. I like this recipe as it is quick and makes a great quick starter. Fresh Basil goes very well with this recipe - I ran out of it so ended up using dried basil leaves.

Ingredients:

• 5-6 firm ripe tomatoes
• 3 cloves of garlic finely minced or grated
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar ( regular white vinegar will work too)
• 6-8 fresh basil leaves or 2-3 teaspoon dried basil leaves
• salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup grated cheese ( I used cheddar)
• 1 baguette French or Italian

Method:

• Cut tomatoes in half and deseed. Then chop them finely.
• Mix tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, salt, pepper, 1 tablespoon olive oil and basil leaves in a bowl and mix.
• Turn oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit ( 232 degrees Celsius).
• Slice baguette into half inch thick slices. Place the baguette slices in a cooking sheet and drizzle olive oil generously and evenly on the top of all the slices.
• Sprinkle salt and pepper on top of the slices and place the cooking sheet on the top rack of your oven.
• Toast the slices for about 4-5 minutes till they just begin to turn golden brown. Keep an eye on the oven to avoid the slices from getting over toasted.
• Take the baguette slices out of the oven when done and immediately top with chopped tomato mixture and grated cheese. Top with finely sliced fresh basil if available and serve immediately. These taste best when served right out of the oven. If kept for long then the bread can become soggy. Alternately you can serve the baguette slices and tomato topping separately in a platter.