Perfecting Classic Bruschetta [Intro to Cooking]

By Ari

This week’s recipe was an instant favorite in our home. Bruschetta is an Italian word which roughly translates (read: Google Translate) to garlic bread. The vagueness of the word results in significant variation of recipes claiming the title ‘bruschetta’. There is a wide variety of ingredients that you could include in your topping, but as usual, I chose to keep it simple.

The sweetness of the little tomatoes is perfectly balanced by the goat cheese and balsamic vinegar. The basil adds another interesting note, and is complemented nicely by the freshly ground pepper. All on top of crusty french bread perfection.

I would serve this bruschetta as an appetizer to any Italian meal, though it would be perfect to nibble on during wine night!

Ingredients

• 1 french baguette
• 10 oz. cherry or grape tomatoes; (or one package of these)
• 4 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp . bacon drippings
• 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• 2 sprigs fresh basil
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4-6

Instructions

1. Slice baguette diagonally into half-inch-thick slices.
2. Combine 1 tbsp. bacon drippings and 3 tbsp. olive oil in a microwaveable dish or coffee mug. Heat for about 25 sec. in the microwave. Brush or spread oil mixture both sides of bread slices.
3. Heat a cast-iron or non-stick skillet over medium to low heat. After pan is sufficiently heated, toast bread until both sides are slightly browned.
   Meanwhile…
4. Roughly dice and drain tomatoes. After tomatoes have been deseeded and drained of excess juice, combine in mixing bowl with 1 tbsp. olive oil, 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar, garlic. Stir well and set aside.
   To finish…
5. After bread has toasted, spread with goat’s cheese. Top with tomatoes, sprinkle with basil, sea salt, and generously season with black pepper.

Pro Tips

1. Upgrade to sea salt. Though it does not dissolve well into dishes, it is perfect for this kind of application: a generous sprinkle on top.
2. The key to this recipe is the freshness of the tomatoes, basil, and ground pepper.