Farm Fresh Bruschetta
It’s a new week and I think the majority of people have found a strong appreciation and yearning for that next meal. As we are hopefully all sheltering in place, I’ve personally found myself thinking about food on the regular. I know that bruschetta is typically a summer-y dish, but I was craving it the other day and knew I had to crank one out asap.
I managed to stop by the farmers market and snag a few super ripe heirloom tomatoes in the most vibrant shades of red and golden yellow. If the tomatoes aren’t perfectly ripe, you can always do a quick blanch to get the texture of the tomatoes right. For me, mastering the perfect balance of acidity and texture is key to the perfect bruschetta. Balancing sweet basil and the acid from tomatoes and vinegar, and more importantly the juiciness and sauce from the tomatoes to the perfect crunch of toasted sourdough. If you are able to capture all these elements, you’re on the way to some taste bud-satisfying nirvana. Bruschetta is a great start to any meal, but if you’re like me, with an incredibly strong affinity for fresh tomatoes, this dish can stand alone!
Farm Fresh Bruschetta
Serves 4
ingredients + TOOLS
Pastry brush
4 large slices of sourdough bread
4-6 large red and golden yellow heirloom tomatoes
6-8 fresh basil leaves, julienned
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp garlic, finely chopped
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp red pepper flakes, to preference
Salt and cracked pepper to taste
STEPS
Prep the tomatoes by removing the inner portion and leaving just the main exterior flesh. Dice into uniform cubes. Set aside in large mixing bowl.
Roll the basil leaves and slice thinly to produce thin strips of julienned basil. Add to the tomatoes.
Take 1 Tbsp of the chopped garlic with the olive oil and heat on low in a skillet. Add the red pepper flakes, more or less flakes to preference. You don’t want the garlic to brown, but to just slightly soften and infuse the oil with the heat of the flakes and the flavor of the garlic. Remove from heat and set aside.
Once the garlic oil has cooled, pour over the tomatoes and combine gently. Season with salt and pepper. You want to handle the tomatoes with care because as they continue to marinate, they will soften and you want to keep the integrity intact to ensure the perfect texture. You want to avoid creating a tomato mush. Cover and let it marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Melt the butter and combine with the remaining garlic. Using the pastry brush, apply the melted butter/garlic to both sides of each slice of bread.
On a skillet or in the oven toast the bread until it is evenly browned and a nice crunchy coating develops. Because the tomato mixture can be quite wet, the toasted sides will keep the bread from becoming too soggy.
Take the marinated tomatoes and add the balsamic vinegar and combine.
Lay the sourdough slices out on a platter and spoon the tomatoes out over the slices.
Finish with fresh cracked black pepper and any remaining basil for garnish.
