Happy Tasty Tuesday! In my house, I’m always looking for a way to do a elegant snack. Something Instagram worthy (Don’t judge, I’m sure you do it too). Usually, my voracious love of cheese and fine crackers does the trick but I’ve been trying to cut back on certain foods.
On a weekly stop at Trader Joes, I noticed that they had some cute mini multicolored tomatoes that I could use in a salad. I also ended getting a nice fresh organic baguette and next thing I know I’m looking up recipes for Bruchetta. I found this one, and decided it be perfect for my multicolored Heirloom Tomatoes. As with all recipes, I added a bit of ‘Trisha” to this recipe and topped my Heirloom Tomato Bruchetta with a balsamic reduction and freshly grated Parmigano-Reggiano (so much for trying to cut back on cheese). The small tweaks, made for a huge increase in flavor and Instagram worthiness. Check out the recipe below to try your hand a this chic snack.
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 pints of mini Heirloom Tomatoes (I got mine and trader joes and have seen them at Whole Foods as well)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
16 whole fresh basil leaves, plus more as needed, chiffonade
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 whole baguette
1 stick butter
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano (grated)
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar (for reduction)
Instructions:
1.In a small skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and stir, lightly frying for about a minute, removing before the garlic gets too brown (it can be golden). Pour the garlic and oil into a mixing bowl and allow to cool slightly.
2.Add the heirloom tomatoes, balsamic and basil to the bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to combine, and then taste and add more basil if needed, and more salt if needed (don’t over salt, though!) Cover and refrigerate for an hour or two if you have the time.
3.Cut the baguette into diagonal slices to allow for the most surface area possible. Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet and grill half the bread on both sides, making sure they’re nice and buttery. Cook until golden brown on both sides. Repeat with the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and the other half of the bread.
4.In a small frying pan put in the balsamic vinegar. Let cook on medium heat for about 3 minutes or unit the vinegar starts to become thick.
5. To serve, give the tomato mixture a final stir, and then spoon generously over the slices of bread. Drizzle reduction over the top and sprinkle with cheese and extra chopped basil
