Tomato n Basil Bruschetta

Hosted a real fun Italian dinner for a gang of my sister's friends who have been demanding a repeat of a meal cooked for them almost a decade back :)) its the nicest feeling when people remember details of what you cooked and what they loved the most and the gentle reminders-when will you cook for us again :) So out of  an honest desire to make them smile with nostalgia again ,Italian it was and Italian can rarely go wrong- cheese,olive oil, pasta,tomatoes,basil...what's not to love in any single ingredient.

So while the rest of the menu takes away from the focus of my blog on simple and quick recipes, this one is a favourite that never fails. Pronounced originally as 'brusketta' ,you can make your own variations to the toppings..maybe feta cheese,olives,ham,egg,corn ..you get the picture. Well speaking of picture , this post is going to be without one as in my hurry of feeding so many hungry souls the picture taking would have kept them for moments  longer without the food..so please let your imagination do some work this time around..:)

Ingredients (makes about 15 pieces)

3 or 4 ripe tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (optional)

10-12 fresh basil leaves, chopped.

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 baguette French bread or similar Italian bread

1/4 cup olive oil

Grated parmesan cheese, to garnish

1.  Prepare the tomatoes first. Cook the tomatoes for 3-4 minutes in boiling water till the skin ruptures. Drain. Using a sharp small knife, remove the skins of the tomatoes. Once the tomatoes are peeled, cut them in halves or quarters and remove the seeds and juice from their centers.

2.  Turn on the oven to 200°c to preheat.

3.  While the oven is heating, chop up the tomatoes finely. Put tomatoes, 1 tablespoon olive oil,balsamic vinegar in a bowl and mix. Add the chopped basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4.  Slice the baguette on a diagonal about 3/4 inch thick slices. Coat one side of each slice with remaining olive oil mixed with garlic using a pastry brush. Place on a cooking sheet, olive oil side down. You will want to toast them in the top rack in your oven for 5-6 minutes, until the bread just begins to turn golden brown.

5.  Align the bread on a serving platter, olive oil side up, place some topping on each slice of bread and serve garnished with parmesan cheese