Bruschetta is a version of garlic bread (garlic toast, really), which is good by me because I think garlic should be its own food group. It’s great in just about everything. Fresh mozzarella is the stuff that comes in little round tubs of brine, not the stuff that comes shrink-wrapped and that you put on pizza. It’s soft and creamy and tastes amazing with the crispy bread, garlic, tomatoes, and basil.
Recipe information
Yield
makes about 40 pieces
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Step 2
Cut the baguette into 1/4-to 3/8-inch-thick slices and place on a baking sheet. Brush the bread with the olive oil and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until light brown. Peel one of the cloves of garlic and rub it over the warm bread slices.
Step 3
Cut the mozzarella into 1/4-inch cubes. Cut the tomatoes in half, remove the seeds by scraping them out of the tomato with a small tool or your finger, and dice into 1/4-inch pieces. Coarsely chop the basil. Peel and finely chop the remaining 3 cloves of garlic or pass them through a garlic press.
Step 4
Combine the mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, and chopped garlic in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
Step 5
Spoon some of the tomato mixture onto each piece of toasted bread and serve immediately.
bargain shopper
Step 6
You may wonder where to find fresh mozzarella cheese. Many grocery stores now have self-serve olive bars that often include fresh mozzarella; otherwise, check the deli counter. They usually have fresh mozzarella that’s quite a bit cheaper than prepackaged versions. Plus, you can get exactly the amount you need.
