Bruschetta - wonderful flavours that burst in your mouth

I love Italian food. And why is that???? well...it is the fact that simple ingredients are used to create beautiful and colourful dishes that are super delicious. And one such dish is the Bruschetta!

Now firstly.....how do you pronounce this, by the way? 

Broo-shett-ah?  Broo-skeett-ah?  Broos-chetta?

Well it's actually Broo-skett-ah. 

You could google it and listen to the pronunciation....that'll be more clearer. 

Bruschetta is an antipasto (starter dish) from Italy consisting of grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with olive oil and salt. Variations may include toppings of tomato, vegetables, beans, cured meat, or cheese. It is usually served as a snack or appetiser. 

The history of the bruschetta dates back to the Etruscan age: while occupying the land between Rome and Tuscany, they began dressing the local, salt-less bread (best when it’s a day old and a little bit stale) and baking slices in ovens. 

Before placing it in the oven, tradition calls for brushing it with a clove of garlic and drizzling a bit of olive oil over each slice. Farmers believe that the oil should be very young and recently pressed and that bruschetta is best accompanied by a glass of wine.


As an old Italian proverb goes, “Day-old bread, month-old oil, and year-old wine”.

I simply love bruschetta because.....can you really think of anything fresher and more delicious than a juicy, ripe tomato and some fresh basil?  There is nothing like it in this world. I've heard from somewhere that bruschetta is like the Italian version of salsa.  It’s made of nearly the same components.  And it’s very versatile.  

Here's a simple and basic recipe:

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil

2 cups cherry tomatoes

1 french baguette loaf

2-3 cloves of garlic

Method:

Here I've used Feta Cheese too

Cut the tomatoes in halves or thirds. If you don't have cherry tomatoes, regular ones will be just fine.....you'll need to cut or chop it up to your desired sizes. 

Roll the basil to chop into fine strips. Combine the tomatoes, and basil together and gently stir to mix. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir again to combine. Refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the flavours to mingle and get delicious. 

Slice the baguette into desired slice size. Preheat the oven at 200°C. Lay the slices down on the baking tray and cover with butter or olive oil. Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.

Once toasted gently rub the fresh cloves of garlic on top of the baguette. 

Then serve with the bruschetta on top of the baguette.

Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and a little bit of extra virgin olive oil....for that extra burst of flavours. 

Together all these flavours will explode with a juicy, sweet, savoury taste. 

The perfect appetiser to serve up! 

Do try!!