Bumper Crop Bruschetta
Not if, but when your "Sweet 100's" cherry tomato plant cranks out 1000 juicy little jewels all at once, this tasty bruschetta recipe just might be your salvation!
To whip up this simple appetizer or light lunch, (not so light if you polish off the whole baguette like someone I know...) you will need olive oil, balsamic vinegar, cherry tomatoes (or field tomatoes diced), green onions, garlic cloves, feta cheese and (missing from this photo), fresh basil leaves and salt and pepper to taste and of course, baguette (or any other crusty bread you wish).
Start by chopping up 3 green onions (you can use 2 if you want but at this stage in our marriage, James isn't bothered by my flamethrower breath!)
Without chopping your fingers off, quarter about 30 cherry tomatoes...
....peel 2 cloves of garlic,
...and mince ( *note...this is not a good first date meal!)
Next, you will need about 10 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped. Below is an easy way to chop up basil...skip these next photos if you already know how to do it...nobody likes a know it all!!
Stack your leaves...
Roll them up...
...into a tidy little package.
Using a sharp knife, slice the "roll" into shreds
...then chop the shreds in the opposite direction...again, without losing a digit! Toss everything into a medium bowl.
I used a chunk of regular feta cheese about a 1/4 cup (I find the "light" feta, seems to be saltier than the regular)...
...crumble feta into the bowl of chopped vegetables and stir it up until everything is combined.
Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil,
...and 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar...also add salt and pepper to taste.
Stir until all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated...set this aside while you prepare your baguette.
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees...or broil if you really want the tops toasted.
Place bread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brush the tops with olive oil...
...place baking sheet in your preheated oven for 10 minutes or until lightly toasted.
Spoon mounds of the garlicky goodness on top of your baguette slices and enjoy!...next post, homemade breathmints! :)
Bumper Crop Bruschetta
1 baguette sliced
3 green onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
about 30 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil for brushing on bread slices
1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
3. Toss the chopped vegetables and crumbled feta into a medium bowl.
4. Next, mix in the olive oil and balsamic vinegar...stir to incorporate the mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Brush baguette slices with olive oil and put in the oven for about 10 minutes or until lightly toasted.
6. Spoon bruschetta mixture onto the toasted bread slices and serve!
A delicious way to keep your cherry tomatoes at bay!