Tomato bruschetta

TOMATO BRUSCHETTA

I have always heard about how wonderful and simple Italian cooking is but it never truly dawned on me until I visited Italy and saw it all for myself. Good olive oil, sweet tomatoes, fresh herbs and garlic.  That’s all it takes to make a piece of bread or pasta so incredibly delicious.

“Very fresh ingredients simply prepared is what good food is all about.” – Antonio Carluccio

Bruschetta is the Italian way of using up old bread. Nothing goes to waste, especially not bread. The bread is thickly sliced and lightly toasted before it is topped with fresh tomatoes, vegetables, cheese or cured meat. Usually served as an antipasto, this tomato bruschetta makes a refreshing, light lunch or mid-afternoon nibble.

In hot sunny Perth where it is not unusual for temperatures to soar to 40ºC in summer, the sweet juicy tomatoes and uplifting scent of fresh basil provide a much welcomed relief.

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TOMATO BRUSCHETTA
Serves: 6
Prep time: 5 minutes

1 loaf of ciabatta, thickly sliced and preferably a day old
4 ripe roma tomatoes
1/2 red onion
1 clove of garlic
handful of basil and/or flat-leaf parsley
extra-virgin olive oil
salt & pepper

1. For this entry, I used freshly made garlic bread. If that is too much hassle, just do it the authentic way. Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over sliced ciabatta. Vigorously rub a clove of garlic all over the bread. Toast in the grill for a 3-5 minutes.

2. TOMATO TOPPING. Coarsely chop roma tomatoes. Finely chop onion, garlic and herbs. In a plate or bowl, toss everything together with a good drizzle of quality olive oil. Season with a little bit of salt and pepper if necessary.

3. TO SERVE Scoop 2-3 tbsp of tomato topping onto bread and enjoy.