Easy Party Appetizer: Tomato Bruschetta

I can't think of anything I like to do more than invite a few close friends over for a meal!  I used to entertain on a weekly basis but lately it is more a rarity and I put less pressure on myself to create a "groaning board" with every possible variety of culinary delight. In the old days, there were always a few casualties among the diners who had arrived hungry, ate mightily, and wound up in a food induced coma on the sofa at 1 a.m. unable to summon the ability to leave. Now I stick to one or two simple appetizers for the guests to attack while I finish preparing a simple main course.

Bruschetta is something delicious and garlicky that everyone can dive into - just make sure you have a stack of cocktail napkins!  It's also an excellent way to use up yesterday's baguette which often otherwise goes rock hard and gets thrown out.

Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta

Ingredients

• 1.2 inch slices of french bread,  grilled

• 2 -3 large ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped (red & yellow mix is nice)

• a few sprigs of fresh basil, leaves picked, washed, and chopped, smaller leaves reserved

• 1 fresh red chilli, finely chopped

• extra virgin olive oil

• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 x 125g ball buffalo mozzarella, or the small marinated balls of buffalo mozzarella

• 2 clove of garlic, peeled and halved,

Put your slices of bread in the toaster oven or onto a hot griddle and toast on both sides. They need to get rather hard because they are going to soak up all the delicious tomato & olive oil mixture. Chop up the tomatoes and basil leaves and most of the mozzarella. Add a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a good pinch of salt and pepper then toss everything together. Have a quick taste to make sure the seasoning is right and add more salt if needed.  As it sits, a lot of the liquid will come out of the tomatoes and make a nice juice.

When the bread is nice and toasted, rub the cut side of the garlic all over each piece. Place all the pieces on a large serving plate and spoon the tomato all over, making sure the mozzarella is evenly distributed.  Drizzle all of the olive oil/juice mixture over the bread.  Pass around to everyone who is now waiting to enjoy your perfect appetizer!

"As a teenager you are at the last stage in your life 

when you will be happy to hear that the phone is for you."

~Fran Lebowitz