Bruschette

Every year my Aunt Viv has this wonderful Christmas party. We all are foodies who love to bake and eat. There is always a ton of food that takes a week to prepare in addition to all the food that the rest of us bring. Every year my Aunt chooses a theme. This year she chose an Italian theme. I decided to bring an appretizer. We are really tight on money so I needed something quick and cheap. I decided on Bruschette. It was a huge hit at the party and I ended up making it and eating it for lunch everyday for three weeks straight.

This is such an easy thing to make, but it produces such big flavor. I normally can't stand raw tomatoes but I can't get enough of this delightful dish! I ended up buying a fresh basil plant since it was cheaper than buying the just the fresh leaves. Now I am in the process of growing my own herb garden. I've been getting some good information and recipes from Steve of My Indoor Herb Garden.

Well, anyways here is the recipe. Make sure to use fresh basil and to let it sit for a few hours to allow all the flavors to mix in. If you happen to find marinated olives, you can use the oil from that jar instead. I found some at the surplus store and I used that oil to cook with and it is AMAZING. Make sure that the jar is MARINATED olives and not the regular olives you eat everyday.

Bruschette

• 4 Fresh Ripe Plum Tomatoes, diced
• 3 Garlic Cloves, Crushed
• 4-6 Fresh Basil Leaves
• 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or oil from marinated olives)
• Kosher Salt, to taste
• Fresh Black Pepper, to taste
• 6 Slices, thick crusted bread
• Mozzarella Cheese

1. Wash tomatoes, cut lenghtwise, remove seedes, and dice. Place in a small airtight container.
2. Wash basil leaves and tear into small pieces. Add to tomatoe mixture.
3. Add crushed garlic cloves, oil, salt, and pepper and toss. Allow mixture to sit, covered, in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.
4. Place spread on slices of bread and add a handful of cheese.
5. Set oven to broil and broil until cheese is melted and mixture is hot. (approx. 3-5 minutes)