Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta
Toast, garlic, ripe tomatoes, nothing more
- Tomatoes
- Appetizer
- Italian
- 15 minutes
- vegan
- summer
Grilled country bread rubbed with raw garlic, piled with marinated heirloom tomatoes and torn basil. Four ingredients, and the single best use of a ripe August tomato.
Photo: Takeaway · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons · all image credits
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds (680 g) ripe heirloom tomatoes, mixed varieties
- 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, plus more to finish
- 12 thick slices country sourdough or ciabatta (about 3/4 inch)
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 2 garlic cloves, halved
- 1/2 cup torn fresh basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped oregano or marjoram (optional)
Equipment
- Grill, grill pan, or broiler
- Large bowl
- Sharp serrated knife
- Microplane or fine grater
Why this recipe works
Bruschetta comes from the charcoal grill and the olive harvest, and its rules are strict for a reason. The bread must be charred, the garlic must be raw, and the tomatoes must be ripe enough to eat over the sink. Change any of those and the dish collapses.
Salt the tomatoes fifteen minutes before you assemble. The salt pulls out their juice, which soaks into the bread and turns it into something better than either ingredient alone. That juice is the whole point.
Heirloom varieties to look for
Use a mix of colours and shapes for the best plate: Brandywine or Costoluto Genovese for sweetness, San Marzano for meaty dice, Sungold or Black Cherry for intensity, Green Zebra for acidity. Leave the standard supermarket hybrids on the shelf for this one.
Method
Dice and salt
Core the tomatoes, cut them into 1/2-inch dice over the bowl so you catch every drop of juice, and toss with the flaky salt. Let them stand for 15 minutes while you prepare the bread.
Dress the tomatoes
Stir the red wine vinegar, black pepper and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil into the tomatoes. Taste and adjust the salt; it should taste bright and slightly aggressive, because it will be spread over bland bread.
Grill the bread
Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Brush both sides of each slice lightly with the remaining olive oil and grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until well marked and crisp at the edges.
Rub with garlic
While the bread is still hot, rub one cut face of the garlic clove firmly across the top of each slice. The rough surface of the toasted bread acts like a grater; use more or less garlic to taste.
Assemble
Spoon the tomatoes generously over the garlicky toast, then spoon over the juices that collected in the bowl. Scatter with the torn basil and, if using, the oregano.
Finish and serve
Drizzle with a little more olive oil, finish with flaky salt and serve immediately, standing at the counter if you like. Bruschetta waits for no one and the bread softens within ten minutes.
Cook's notes
- Do not refrigerate the tomatoes. Cold destroys their aroma, and this dish is almost entirely aroma.
- Tear the basil rather than cutting it; a knife bruises the leaves and turns the edges black.
- If your bread is very fresh and soft, dry the slices in a 350 F oven for 5 minutes before grilling so they stay crisp.
Variations
- Add 8 ounces of torn mozzarella di bufala and a thread of basil oil for a full plate.
- Rub the toast with a cut tomato instead of spooning on the topping for the classic Catalan pan amb tomaquet.
- Mash the tomatoes roughly with garlic, olive oil and salt for a Sicilian-style topping on focaccia.
Storage
Assemble and eat immediately. Store the marinated tomatoes separately in the refrigerator for up to 2 days; bring them back to room temperature and drain before using. Grilled bread keeps for a day and can be recrisped in a hot oven.
How to serve it
2 to 3 pieces per person. Serve it within the time noted above for the best texture, because heirloom produce is far less forgiving than supermarket vegetables.
