Bruschetta-

“Tomatoes and oregano make it Italian; wine and tarragon make it French. Sour cream makes it Russian; lemon and cinnamon make it Greek. Soy sauce makes it Chinese; and garlic makes it good.” ~Alice May Brock

April feels like the month to start cooking light, simple meals that don’t require hours to prepare. It’s also nice when you don’t have to turn on the oven. This is one of our favorite spring/summer meals. It’s easy, elegant, healthy, and delicious. Yesterday we enjoyed ours with a glass of carmenere.


8 ripe Roma tomatoes, chopped into bite size chunks
1/4 cup fresh basil or parsley, finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup good quality (I like unfiltered) extra virgin olive oil
a couple splashes of balsamic vinegar or good red wine
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in bowl about 1/2 hour prior to serving. Don’t refrigerate. Bruschetta tastes best very fresh. Tomatoes lose their flavor and pleasant texture when refrigerated.
While the bruschetta is resting, prepare the crostini. Thickly slice a loaf of good quality, Italian bread…the chewy, crusty kind. Butter both sides of each slice and toast in a skillet (like you would toast a grilled cheese sandwich-so both sides are golden brown.) Serve the bruschetta piled high on the crostini.
Have a beautiful weekend,

http://www.chindeep.com/2010/04/11/bruschetta/