Bruschetta

Bruschetta from the movie Julie & Julia

if you know me, then you know about my recent obsession with the movie Julie & Julia.  There is a scene from the movie where Julie makes this wonderful looking Bruschetta, which causes my salivary gland to water every time I watch it.  So, thanks to google I was able to find the recipe, try it and just as I expected it was just as delicious as it looked.

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Ingredients:
Loaf of french bread
olive oil
butter
garlic cloves
kosher salt
ground pepper
heirloom tomatoes or vine ripe tomatoes
fresh basil

Directions:
1. Cut tomatoes into chunks and chop lots of basil leaves into small pieces. In a bowl, toss tomatoes and basil with a good quality olive oil. Marinate for 1 hour at room temperature.

2. Cut bread into slices about 3/4 inch thick

3. Pan fry the bread in butter and minced garlic to get it toasted on the outside while retaining some softness in the center. After pan frying, sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

4. Season tomato mixture with salt and pepper about a half hour before serving. The salt makes the tomatoes release their juices and you don’t want that happening too soon.

5. Top bread with tomato mixture. If the bread is really crunchy, let the tomatoes sit for a few minutes before serving to soften the bread.

Bruschetta