summer luvin' brushetta

summer=fresh tomatoes=love

6 or 7 roma tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
6-8 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

1 baguette
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

parboil the tomatoes for 2 1/2 minutes, drain and then rinse with cold water. use your fingers to remove skins. quarter and remove seeds/juices, then chop. mix with the garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and basil leaves.

cut thin slices of the bread and brush one side with olive oil. toast on the top rack of your oven, oil side up, for 5 minutes at 450*.

i prefer to NOT top the bread with the brushetta before serving because the bread gets soggy. rather, i serve the bread on a plate and the brushetta in a small bowl. it's also nice to serve this with a little feta cheese to sprinkle on top. if you're feeling really fancy, you can drizzle some balsamic vinegar on the bread plate. enjoy!

makes about 8 side dish servings... or if you are lazy like me and don't feel like cooking anything else, 4 main dish servings.