Fresh Tomato Balsamic Bruschetta

Wow what a great recipe!  I undid my 2 mile jog today in one fell swoop with this one!  I’ve tried many bruschetta recipes, but this is by far my favorite.  You can’t beat the fresh tomato balsamic vinegar combination.  Don’t skip the balsamic or switch it for another type of vinegar.  It is key to this recipe.

With fresh tomatoes in season right now, I wanted to use them while they are available, so I made two fresh tomato recipes for dinner tonight.  I served this fresh tomato bruschetta with spaghetti squash topped with a fresh tomato red sauce.  Both recipes are keepers.

Ingredients:

2 fresh tomatoes, diced (I used one red and one yellow because that’s what I had and thought the different colors would be interesting.  As a bonus, yellow tomatoes are typically a little sweeter than red, so it was a good combination, but use whatever you have)

1/2 cup fresh shredded Parmesan cheese (not the stuff in the green can)

1/4 cup minced fresh basil (always use fresh if you can)

3 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley

3 cloves garlic, grated

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar (do not substitute)

1/8 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1 French baguette or crusty Italian bread

1/4 cup butter, softened

sliced mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Combine first 10 ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.

Slice the bread into 1/2 inch slices and brush one side with butter.  Place on a baking sheet and top with sliced mozzarella.

Place under the broiler just until cheese has melted.  Remove from oven and top each piece of bread with a spoonful of the tomato mixture.

Serve immediately.

Recipe only (printer friendly)  Highlight and print selection:

Ingredients:

2 fresh tomatoes, diced (I used one red and one yellow because that’s what I had and thought the different colors would be interesting.  As a bonus, yellow tomatoes are typically a little sweeter than red, so it was a good combination, but use whatever you have)

1/2 cup fresh shredded Parmesan cheese (not the stuff in the green can)

1/4 cup minced fresh basil (always use fresh if you can)

3 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley

3 cloves garlic, grated

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar (do not substitute)

1/8 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1 French baguette or crusty Italian bread

1/4 cup butter, softened

sliced mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Combine first 10 ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.

melted.  Top each slice with a spoonful of the tomato mixture.  Serve immediately.