OMGSNAX!

an OMGSNAX! special edition

this is a special edition b/c i’ve made bruschetta approximately one bazillion times — but how could i not share?

my sister taught me this recipe after she came home from college & it’s wicked easy & really nice to eat when it’s unbearably hot out (see: this weekend) b/c it doesn’t involve anything hot, really, plus tomatoes are totally in season & i want to marry them.

i made this for my cousin jennifer (which explains the fancy-looking well-lit kitchen in the photos) while she tried to coax tyler (at 4 & a half months) to go to sleep, & by the time she got him conked out, the dinner was done.

one more thing: i took my friend cat out for her birthday a couple months ago & we had this amazing bruschetta at a restaurant on south grand called mangia italiano. instead of mozzarella & tomatoes, it was made with goat cheese & roasted red peppers, & HOLY MOSES was that good. i keep meaning to attempt it at home, but i haven’t quite worked up the nerve yet.

INGREDIENTS
1 to 1 1/2 roma tomatoes per person
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
minced garlic
fresh buffalo mozzarella
a few leaves of fresh basil, shredded
a french baguette

METHOD
slice the baguette on the diagonal into slices no more than half an inch thick. lightly brush one side with olive oil using a pastry brush, & toast in a 350-degree oven for seven to ten minutes.

finely dice the tomatoes, & mix with a splash of olive oil & a couple splashes of balsamic vinegar (i’m sorry, you really have to just eyeball it). add minced garlic to taste (i’d usually go with a clove per person) & set aside.

slice enough mozzarella to cover the number of pieces you’ve made.

top each toasted piece of bread with a slice of cheese & a heaping tablespoon (or so) of the tomato mixture. garnish with the basil.

DEVIATIONS & OBSERVATIONS
it’s pretty hard to deviate from a recipe as fluid as this, but let me just say that: daniel thinks i use way too much vinegar, & i think my sister doesn’t really use enough. i think carolyn has a pastry brush, but i usually end up drizzling the oil over the bread b/c i don’t. i prefer the bread less toasty, but most people seem to prefer the opposite. oh, & it’s REALLY important to use soft fresh mozzarella, b/c one time i used a different kind & the texture was all wrong & we were quite sad.

delicious diced tomatoes

pre-toasted baguette

sliced mozzarella

shredded basil

this barely lasted ten minutes

oh, one more thing: a serrated knife works WAY better for the cheese than anything else, unless you have an actual slicer. just trust me on this.

 

 

“Bruschetta” from carolyn.