a Sicilian tradition :: bruschetta

You know the feeling of biting into a perfect piece of bruschetta: the crunch of the toasted bread, the sweetness of the tomatoes, the spiciness of the garlic, the delicious flavor of herbs filling your mouth.  I’ve attempted bruschetta and been disappointed with the result, so I was glad when Maria included a bruschetta tutorial with her pasta alla norma cooking class this week.  Making perfect bruschetta might not be so hard for me now!

Here are a few pictures of the process and then the recipe is at the end of the post.

First, deseed and dice your tomatoes.  Then mix them with the olive oil and herbs in a large bowl.  Let sit while you prepare the bread.

Try to find a loaf of bread that looks something like this.  Slice it into 1-cm pieces and place on a tray to toast in the oven.

Take a break for a picture with your cute little boy…

… and to check out your daughter, who is playing with one of the many children that were running around the house throughout our cooking class.  Fun for them and fun for us!

When the bread is finished toasting, top with the tomato mixture.

Sit down at the table and enjoy with your friends!  Buon appetito!

Bruschetta Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 kilo tomato (2 lbs)
• 1 loaf of bread
• 3 small garlic cloves (2 large)
• 2 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp dried basil (or 2 fresh basil stems)
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• about 1/2 cup olive oil

Directions:

• De-seed tomatoes and dice into small pieces.  Mince garlic and place into tomatoes.  Add oregano, basil, salt, and oil. Cover and let sit.
• Put oven rack on lowest position and set to Broil. Slice bread into 1cm thickness. Place in oven and toast until warm.
• Top bread slices with tomato mixture.