EVERGREENS AND TOMATOES
About the Recipe
Quick and colorful appetizer that puts your garden harvest to use
Ingredients
1.5 lbs of cook/gardener's choice heirloom tomatoes - If you don't have fresh heirloom beefsteaks or plum tomatoes then I would recommend using plum/roma tomatoes from the store
1-2 garlic cloves
Salt to taste
4-6 large basil leaves
1 baguette or loaf of bread
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) plus more for drizzling - this is a dish that really thrives with quality olive oil, and if you don't already have a nice bottle of olive oil I would highly recommend adding one to your kitchen. This Merula EVOO on Amazon is an excellent option and runs around $20. Another great option is Costco's Kirkland Signature Organic EVOO, I go through jugs of this like it is my job 😂 As a side note, a fun group activity is doing an olive oil tasting, it's really eye opening to taste the differing qualities, olive varieties, and places of origin - you may also realize some of those olive oils you've been storing in the back of the pantry went bad a long time ago
Fresh ground pepper (optional)
Balsamic vinegar for drizzling (optional)
Preparation
Step 1
Dice up the tomatoes, if making for later in the day then I would recommend salting lightly (to draw out moisture) and letting strain for a couple hours, but this is totally optional.
Step 2
Press or grate the garlic. Then combine the olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, and salt to taste (optional: also add fresh ground pepper). Mix together and let sit for 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors meld together.
Step 3
Slice the baguette or loaf of bread vertically with a slight angle and then brush both sides with canola or avocado oil. You can either toast, grill, or use a grill pan on the stove. If I'm not planning on using the grill for anything else I generally just use the grill pan to crisp the crostinis and give them those signature grill marks. You will want to grill each side for 2-3 minutes depending on the temperature, and when using a grill pan I usually do need to press down on the bread to ensure it has enough contact to make the deeper colored grill marks. Once finished grilling the bread set aside.
Step 4
While the tomato mixture is 'melding', chiffonade the basil. This is just a fancy French term that refers to stacking the basil leaves on top of one another, rolling them, and thinly slicing them to create ribbons.
Step 5
Now combine the basil ribbons with the tomato mixture and spoon onto the crostini slices - you may want to use a slotted spoon to reduce the liquid. You can eat as is, or you can drizzle the crostinis with additional olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and flaky sea salt. Serve and eat right away.
Enjoy!