As I write this we are in the middle of October, and guess what? We are in the middle of hurricane season and the beginning of fall, which means summer clean up is upon us. To prep for Hurricane Teddy and potential frost, I pulled all my tomato plants out of the ground and saved all the green tomatoes in a bowl.
I kept them on the counter and let them ripen up natural, one by one. Having only odds and sods left, I was trying to figure out a way to use them. Well, my mom is a HUGE fan of bruschetta, as am I. I decided why not make my own with all these leftover tomatoes. Luckily I also still have some basil left!
What is Bruschetta and a little bit of history behind it
Bruschetta came about in the 15th century. It's an antipasto (Italian for starter dish, or as we know as appetizer) from Italy consisting of grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with extra-virgin olive oil and salt.
It was cheap to make and was considered food for the poor (well so was lobster, jokes on us cause bruschetta isn't exactly cheap in a restaurant) because it was a way to save stale bread. Many of these ingredients are still affordable today except for Olive Oil, so making it at home is the best bang for your buck!
The true origins of bruschetta are lost, there's no clear information on its exact creation time and place. Some say it came from a peasant farmer wanting to taste the freshness of his olives on a slice of toasted bread.
Regardless of its origins, many variations came about over the years. Toppings such as: tomatoes, vegetables, beans, cured meats, or cheese. Tomatoes weren't originally in the recipe because it wasn't until the 16th center when tomatoes were introduced to the Americas.
Bruschetta got so popular in some countries, like the United States and Canada, that the prepared toppings were marketed as Bruschetta.
Now that we got that down, onto making our own!
INGREDIENTS
1/2 lbs of Tomatoes, deseeded (optional) and cut in 1/4" pieces. (homegrown)
1 Shallot or 1/4 yellow onion, chopped (homegrown)
1/3 cup of Fresh Basil, green or purple, finely chopped (homegrown)
2 garlic cloves, 1 whole, 1 minced (homegrown)
2 tbsp of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 tsp of Balsamic Vinegar or Red Wine Vinegar
A pinch of Salt and Pepper
1/2 Baguette (white or whole wheat), thinly sliced or more, common let's be real.
OPTIONAL: Balsamic Glaze
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F (180°C). While then oven pre-heats, chop tomatoes in half and scoop out all of then juices and seeds. Once discarded chop tomatoes into 1/4" pieces, place them into a medium size bowl and set aside.
2. Thinly slice baguette at an angle to elongate each slice and place evenly on a baking sheet (non stick or on tin foil). Once oven is ready, brush the tops of the baguette lightly with olive oil. Bake until lightly brown ~7-10 mins. (always best to set a timer).
3. Chop up basil and onion. Throw basil, onion, salt, pepper, vinegar and the rest of the olive oil in with the tomatoes and mix together gently.
4. OPTIONAL but amazing: Rub each slice of toast with raw garlic. This give you an extra garlicky flavor.
5. Top the sliced baguette pieces with the tomato mixture. Drizzle olive oil or balsamic glaze and season with salt.
If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it! Tag #jobinkitchengarden on Instagram.
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