Keeping it Simple

One of the simplest and most delicious summer foods is Bruschetta.  This hors d'oeuvre couldn't be easier.  The Italians invented this brilliant solution for easy summer entertaining.  The ingredients are so simple. Tomatoes, bread, basil, olive oil, and garlic.  The earthiest ingredients.  Bread that gets grilled on the barbecue topped with anything that looks good at the Farmer's Market.  The possibilities are endless!  With a glass of chilled rose or sauvignon blanc it is the perfect food to enjoy on a warm summer night.

The inspiration for my bruschetta making was this article in Martha Stewart magazine (February, 2012) about small plates.  The bruschettas, tartines, and crostinis that were featured looked so earthy and simple and so tantalizingly good.  The concept was keeping the dishes simple but beautiful by using the very best ingredients you can find.  

And so I pulled together the ingredients for simple bruschetta, using the very best items I could find.  Heirloom tomatoes are now available at Whole Foods and they are so good!  I threw in some garlic, salt and pepper, a great loaf of bread and my favorite olive oil.

A big bunch of basil completed the ingredients

We grilled the bread and discovered that crunchy, smoky, grilled bread is delicious all by itself.  When it came off the grill and was still warm, I rubbed it with garlic and drizzled on olive oil.  For the topping, I chopped the tomatoes and mixed them with garlic, basil, olive oil, salt and pepper.  

  Grilled country bread that tasted slightly charred topped with the fragrant tomato mixture was delicious.  On a warm evening outside on the patio, it was a perfect appetizer with a chilled glass of wine. 

Small plates and simple foods using the best ingredients make great summer meals.

Buon appetito!