The strawberries had a better party to go to this year
Well, maybe you all actually know how to make bruschetta, but even if you do, I hope that this post will remind you of it since there are loads of wonderful tomatoes and basil coming into season right around now…..well, at least there should be. Thanks to the never-ending Winter, and a Spring that only ducks can love, fruit and vegetables are showing up to the party late, or hardly at all. I saw the strawberries pop in quickly for a few minutes, but they must’ve decided that they had somewhere better to be, as they jumped out the bathroom window and were off before I could really sink my teeth into them! Anyway, the tomatoes are dribbling in slowly, so I thought I’d grab them before they try to vanish to the Maldives, or wherever tomatoes go when they’re cold, and actually do something with them. And, what better thing to make with fresh tomatoes than bruschetta!
When the tomatoes start to ripen; it’s time to make bruschetta!
The tomatoes in the photo above come from Southern Italy and are called Picadilly tomatoes. I’m able to buy them from my local supermarket for about a month or two right now, but they disappear in the Summer. They’re super red inside and very tasty. Got to make the most of them while they last!! (I’m not divulging my supply otherwise anyone who lives near me might go and buy them all and leave none for me!!)
How to pronounce “bruschetta” so that Italians won’t snigger
Quite a few people have asked me to give everyone a pronunciation lesson on the word “bruschetta” since I’m writing about it, so if you know this already, feel free to skip the next paragraph. If you don’t, you will soon be able to order (or make your own!) bruschetta in an Italian restaurant and have the waiter (if they’re Italian) ask you where in Italy you are from. 🙂 Or, you’ll least know deep down inside that you’re right even if the (non-Italian) waiter wrongly corrects your pronunciation. Just don’t start a fist fight over it…..gloat quietly and gobble your bruschetta. So, here it is “bruschetta” is NOT said with the “ch” like “bru-shetta”, it’s pronounced “BrusKetta”. There, I said it. I hope all you pedantic pronunciation people are now able to sleep better tonight. 😉 Actually in Italian, whenever you see a “che” or “chi” the “c” is pronounced as a hard “k”, and just to be confusing, when you see “ce” or “ci” it’s pronounced as a “ch” like in “FranCEsco”. Right, enough already! This isn’t a language blog, it’s all about the food, for goodness sake! Sorry to go off on a tangent there!
Just one note: Make sure you use “rustic” bread otherwise the oil and tomatoes will just turn the bread into a soggy mess!
There are many variations of bruschetta. You can also try this one with radicchio and speck. The one I’m showing you here is the traditional one you find in many restaurants in Italy. They make a delicious, very quick appetizer for when you have un-invited (or even invited) guests! They’ll love you for it!
By Lisa Watson
Tomato Bruschetta
Ingredients
- 1 loaf Rustic bread
- 6 – 8 Tomatoes
- Olive oil
- 1 Garlic clove
- Salt to taste
- Basil a few leaves
Instructions
- Heat the grill or bbq to as hot as you can.
- Chop the tomatoes into cubes.
- Cut the bread into thick slices and place them on a baking tray if putting into the oven grill.
- Peel the garlic clove and rub it on one side of each piece of bread.
- Evenly pour a little olive oil over each piece of bread.
- Place under the grill or on the bbq grate and wait until they brown. DON’T LEAVE THEM FOR A SECOND!
- Flip them over and brown them lightly on the underside.
- Cover with the chopped tomatoes, sprinkle with salt and a little bit of olive oil.
- Decorate with torn basil leaves.