Few dishes capture the late-summer garden as simply as ripe tomatoes and fresh basil served over toasted bread.
The Italians gave us bruschetta: bread toasted or grilled, traditionally rubbed with garlic and finished with olive oil. When a baguette is sliced into small rounds and toasted, the resulting pieces may also be called crostini.
Whatever name we use, the governing idea remains the same: good bread, ripe tomatoes, fragrant basil and very little interference.
Begin with the Tomatoes
Choose tomatoes for flavor rather than appearance.
A mixture can be especially good:
Meaty plum tomatoes provide structure.
Slicing tomatoes contribute juice and familiar tomato flavor.
Cherry tomatoes add sweetness and color.
Dark or striped heirlooms bring depth and visual interest.
Core and dice the tomatoes. If they are exceptionally juicy, place them in a strainer for ten or fifteen minutes. Removing a little excess liquid helps keep the toast crisp.
Do not discard that tomato water. Chill it for a savory drink, add it to soup or use it when starting a sauce.
The Basil
Use fresh sweet basil, Genovese basil or a carefully selected mixture.
Stack the leaves, roll them loosely and slice them into narrow ribbons. This technique is called chiffonade.
Cut basil shortly before serving. Bruised or finely chopped basil darkens quickly and loses some of its fresh fragrance.
University of Maine Extension recommends adding delicate herbs such as basil near the end of cooking or using them as a finishing garnish. University of Maine Extension
Tomato and Basil Topping
For approximately 20 small rounds:
4 cups diced ripe tomatoes
¼ to ½ cup fresh basil ribbons
1 small garlic clove, finely grated
1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic or red-wine vinegar, optional
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
A pinch of red-pepper flakes, optional
Combine the tomatoes, garlic, oil and vinegar. Season lightly.
Add most of the basil shortly before serving, reserving a little for the top.
Allow the mixture to stand for approximately ten minutes—not several hours. Long holding can draw excessive water from the tomatoes and diminish the basil.
Preparing the French-Bread Rounds
You will need:
1 French baguette
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 peeled garlic clove
A small amount of salt
Slice the baguette diagonally into rounds approximately one-half inch thick.
Brush lightly with olive oil and arrange on a baking sheet. Toast at 400°F until the edges are golden and the centers remain pleasantly chewy. Turn once if necessary.
For a smokier result, grill the rounds briefly over moderate heat.
While the bread is warm, rub one side lightly with the cut garlic clove. The warm, crisp surface will capture just enough garlic without overwhelming the tomato.
Assemble at the Last Moment
Spoon the tomato mixture onto the warm or room-temperature rounds immediately before serving.
Finish with:
Fresh basil
A few flakes of sea salt
Black pepper
A restrained drizzle of olive oil
Optional additions include:
Fresh mozzarella
Whipped ricotta
Shaved Parmesan
A small spoonful of pesto
Roasted peppers
White beans
Chopped Kalamata olives
Use additions sparingly. The tomatoes and basil should remain the reason for the dish.
A Late-Summer Ritual
This is not a recipe that improves through complexity.
Its pleasure comes from immediacy: bread still carrying the warmth of the oven, tomatoes picked at full ripeness and basil cut moments before it reaches the table.
For a few weeks each year, the garden gives us all three.
The wisest thing we can do is toast the bread and get out of their way.
Until next time...
I am...
Phil Wilson...
and Here’s to sharing our herbal life-style with you!