Let’s cut to the chase. I love food. I like to make it, I like to eat it. During the summer, I spend a lot of time in the kitchen making concoctions with all the farm fresh produce that comes my way. Today’s recipe celebrates the tomato in a mouth-watering blend of balsamic vinegar, garlic, tomatoes, olive oil, and basil stacked on top of a crisp crostini. This bruschetta recipe will become a summertime favorite, I promise. Grab a handful of fresh off the vine tomatoes and head into the kitchen.

Bruschetta

3 C. chopped tomatoes – use a variety of colors for visual interest

⅓ C. herb-marinated, oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (make your own using this recipe)

¼ C. balsamic vinegar

¼ C. olive oil

2 garlic cloves, pressed

½ C. chopped, fresh basil

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, cover, and place in the refrigerator for several hours. This will allow the flavors to blend. You can eat it right away, but it’s really good after soaking together for a while. Slice a sourdough baguette on the diagonal and arrange the slices in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Use a pastry brush to lightly brush both sides of each bread slice with olive oil. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes, turn the slices over, and bake for another 5 minutes. The slices should be crisp on each side, but still soft in the middle; look for just a little browning around the edges.

Now, for the eating part. My favorite way to eat bruschetta? Standing at the kitchen island across from my husband with a stack of crostinis in front of each of us and the bowl of tomato mixture in the middle. Love having a drippy little Sunday afternoon moment with some bruschetta and my man. You could also make a nice little presentation out of the bruschetta and assemble a whole platter, but if you do, be sure to assemble just before serving as the juices will soak down into the crostini and you don’t want to feed people soggy food.

And by the way, can we talk about how bad these pictures want to make me go toast up another baguette right this minute? mmmmmm.