One night last week I came home from work late and realized I had not prepared dinner in advance – I usually do this a day earlier. I looked around my kitchen and spotted some ripe tomatoes in a basket. I made these bruschette (Italian for “toasts”) in a rush – 10 minutes.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
8 one-inch thick slices Italian bread
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
4 medium ripe tomatoes, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped red onion (cut into 1/2-inch pieces)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or Italian parsley leaves
3 to 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup grated cheese (Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano)
1. Place bread slices on a baking sheet and position 6 inches away from top oven broiler-grill.
2. With oven setting on “broil”, toast the bread slices on one side only.
3. Transfer the bread slices onto a platter and drizzle them lightly with some oil; set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, gently toss together the tomatoes, onion, chopped basil or parsley with 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper.
5. Taste and adjust oil and seasonings.
6. Spoon equal amounts of the tomato mixture over the bruschette and top with some cheese.
Serve immediately.
Note: Traditional bruschette recipes begin with the rubbing of a cut clove of garlic on each slice of bread, followed by the toasting procedure.
Tip: To remove the bite but not the flavor from sliced or chopped raw onions, place them in a bowl of cold water, give them a squeeze and drain. Use in recipe as directed.
Text ©2010 Nancy Real
Nancy DeLucia Real is an art historian and chef. She has led culinary courses at the Italian Cultural Institute, The Getty Center and The Getty Villa and is a former member of the Culinary Historians of Southern California. Nancy's gastronomy training took place in the heart of Italy under the tutelage of her grandmother. She has taught international cuisine at Williams Sonoma and Sur la Table Stores. Nancy's art history & culinary courses are ongoing at various institutions. She also teaches private cooking classes. 
