Bruschetta with Fresh Basil

Bruschetta was my latest craving. Not something sugary or chocolaty but bruschetta made with fresh tomatoes. Strange, isn’t it? To crave a fruit! And yes, tomatoes are a fruit. Ask anyone in my 6th grade class many years ago. The whole class got a detention for arguing with our French teacher that tomatoes are fruits. I guess in the days before Google, if you couldn’t prove something by looking it up on Google, give the class a detention! Oh well, I have never forgotten that tomatoes are a fruit. But I digress!

I’ll blame Costo for my craving. I was wandering the fruit and veggie section and there were the cases of tomatoes. Twelve beautiful ripe, firm tomatoes that smelled like tomatoes! I think living here in the mid-west, where we are a long way from local fresh produce, my senses over reacted to tomatoes.

I remembered a Bruschetta recipe that I used to make years ago and put it together. It was heaven!! I had bruschetta for lunch for two days! I just cut the bread thin and loaded on the topping. Mmmmmm, heaven!

INGREDIENTS:
2 ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup sweet onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup basil, lightly packed and chopped
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP Parmesan cheese – optional (Feta is also a great alternative!)
Italian or French bread.

After the tomatoes have been chopped, let them sit for about 5 minutes and drain the liquid.
Mix in onion, gasil, garlic and olive oil.
Just before serving, add some of the Bruschetta mixture onto sliced bread.
If Bruschetta mixture is cold, broil bruschetta on the bread for a minute or two to warm it up.

Enjoy, and savor this! I had some with my spagetti one evening then it was my lunch for the next two. I just couldn’t get enough. Just cut your bread thinner if you are having two or three pieces as a meal. Then you don’t eat too much bread :).