Fresh Italian Bread Tomatoes, 6 to 8 medium Garlic, 3 or 4 cloves Red Onion, about 1/3 cup when diced Fresh Basil, 1/4 to 1/3 cup when snipped Olive Oil, 2 to 3 tablespoons plus more for brushing the bread Balsamic Vinegar (or Lemon Juice) 2 tablespoons Salt and Black Pepper
Dice the onion, mince the garlic and snip the basil. Dice the tomatoes. I cut them into slices first then diced by making several slices in each direction. Combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic and basil in a large bowl. Add a scant tablespoon of coarse-ground salt and a teaspoon or two of coarse-ground black pepper. Add the olive oil and vinegar. Stir it all together, taste it and adjust the seasoning if you like. It’ll be better if you let it sit for a while before serving. Just before serving, turn on the broiler. Arrange bread slices on a baking pan and brush them generously with olive oil. Toast under the broiler for a just a minute or two. Don’t do what I did…get busy doing something else and forgetting the bread until the whole kitchen smells like burnt toast. Spoon the tomato mixture onto the toast and serve immediately. Enjoy!
