Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil

6 or 7 ripe plum tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs)

2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 T)

1 T extra virgin olive oil

1 t balsamic vinegar

6-8 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced or chopped

1 t kosher salt, more or less to taste

1/2 t freshly ground black pepper, more or less to taste

1 baguette French bread or similar Italian bread

1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS

-Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil.  As the water is heating make shallow cuts in a cross patter at the tip ends of the tomatoes (this will make the tomatoes easier to peel).  Once the water is boiling, remove the pot from the heat.  Put the tomatoes in the hot water and blanch for 1 minute.  Remove with a slotted spoon and let sit until cool enough to handle.  Then gently peel off the tomato skins.  Cut out the stem base with a pain knife.  Cut the tomatoes into halves or quarters and squeeze out mot of the juices and seeds.

-Preheat the over to 450F with a rack in the top slot of the oven. Finely chop the tomatoes and place them in a medium bowl.  Mix in the minced garlic, 1 T extra virgin olive oil, and the balsamic vinegar.  Stir in the thinly sliced basil and add salt and freshly ground black pepper, adding more to taste.  Note, tomatoes love salt; you may need to add more than you expect.

-Use a bread knife to slice the baguette on diagonal making half-inch thick slices.  Brush one side of each slice with olive oil (a pastry brush helps here) and place olive oil-side down on a baking sheet or roasting pan.  The baguette slices will toast best in the top rack of your oven, so you may need to work in the batches to toast them all.  When the oven has reached 450F place the slices in the oven on the top rack and toast for 5 to 6 minutes until lightly browned around the edges.

-Arrange the toasted bread on a platter, olive oil side facing up (the olive oil will help create a temporary barrier keeping the bread from getting soggy from the chopped tomatoes.)  Either serve the toasts plain with a bowl of the tomato brushed mixture on the side for people to top their own, or use a spoon to gently top each toasted bread slice with some of the tomatoes mixture.  If you top each slice individually, do it right before serving.  

The person that brought this recipe said they used two can of petite diced tomatoes and added sliced mozzarella.