Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Heirloom Bruschetta

I hesitated in doing back-to-back tomato posts, but then I realized I must not be the ONLY heirloom-obsessed person out there. Can I get an amen?! I know many people who complain about not knowing what to do with ingredients after they used part for a recipe, so I thought this would be a great way to show how I used some leftovers to create another tasty dish. This time, an app! Nothing crazy about this bruschetta, just big, bright flavors. Bon appetit!

Heirloom Bruschetta

2 heirloom tomatoes (or 1 heirloom, 1 cup mixed cherry tomatoes in my case - I wanted more color!)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced red onion
Crushed black pepper
6 basil leaves, freshly chopped
2 ounces mozzarella, cut into bite-sized cubes
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon butter
Sea salt to taste
3 large pieces of bread, cut in half, or 6 small slices of ciabatta

Chop tomatoes into bite-sized pieces. Add to a bowl with minced garlic and onion and stir to combine. Season with black pepper. Stir in basil, mozzarella and balsamic vinegar and let marinate 20-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a cast iron or grill pan to high heat. If using cast iron, melt butter, then sear bread until charred on both sides. If using grill pan, melt the butter and brush generously on both sides of bread, then grill until charred.

Immediately top the bread with tomato/mozzarella mixture and season with a bit of sea salt. Enjoy!

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