Bruschetta

For a quick, tasty snack or summer entree, try making your own Italian bruschetta using Geoff Jansz's recipe. It's a great way to use fresh tomatoes from your garden.

Ingredients

Dressing

• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 50mL red wine vinegar
• 100mL Extra Virgin olive oil

Bruschetta

• 6 salad tomatoes, chopped (Geoff used 'Rouge di Marmande')
• 12 basil leaves, torn not chopped
• 1 red onion, finely diced
• 1/2 cup of your favourite dressing or make your own (see above)
• Ciabatta bread (Italian flat loaf) or another squat loaf, split horizontally
• Sea salt
• Pepper, freshly ground

Method

1. Mix the dressing ingredients together in a bowl.
2. Roughly chop the tomatoes after removing the core and any blemishes and add them to the dressing.
3. Remove the stalks from the basil leaves and tear the leaves into the bowl. Finely dice one red onion and add to the bowl for extra flavour.
4. Mix it all together with the dressing. Slice the ciabatta loaf horizontally before cutting each slice into strips about 5cm (2") wide.

Hint: Ensure there is a crust on the base of the slice so that the tomato juices don't seep through the bread.

Grill the bread on both sides on a hot grill.

Hint: When grilling use a herb brush (made from fresh herbs) dipped in olive oil to grease the hot grill.

To serve: Serve the bruschetta on the grilled bread immediately for maximum tomato flavour. Sprinkle good sea salt and freshly ground pepper on top. Makes 6 slices.

Further information

Ciabatta, the Italian bread, may be difficult to find in supermarkets but would be available from specialist delicatessens throughout Australia.

Copyright CTC Productions 2006