Smoky tomato bruschetta
Combine plump, fresh tomato with a bunch of basil and a little seasoning. It’s a great way to beat the heat if it’s too hot to cook!
Ingredients
Base
- large sourdough loaf
- 1 clove fresh garlic halved
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil a fruity type
- smoked salt flakes
Topping
- 4 large meaty tomatoes deseeded (we used a golden heritage variety)
- 100 g mozzarella
- handful fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Cut sourdough into 2cm-thick slices. Heat a grill pan or barbecue plate to medium–high heat.
- Toast bread on both sides until golden or lightly charred. Place toasted bread on large plate. Rub each piece well with cut garlic to infuse a gentle flavour.
- Drizzle half the olive oil over toast, turn toast over and drizzle with remaining oil. Season with a tiny pinch of smoked salt.
- To make topping, cut deseeded tomatoes into roughly 1.5cm pieces and place in a bowl. Tear mozzarella into similar-sized pieces and add to bowl. Tear basil into small pieces and add to bowl. Season well with freshly ground pepper and salt. Toss gently.
- Add a large spoon of topping to each bruschetta and sprinkle with a little smoked salt if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nothing beats the taste of sweet late-summer tomatoes. This simple bruschetta combining tomato and basil – with some locally made Il Casaro mozzarella is a winner. We used yellow heritage tomatoes and purple basil, in case you’re confused by the picture!
A really good quality sourdough will make all the difference with this recipe. If you’re in Auckland, Paneton and Wild Wheat make great bread. Or you could get really busy in the ktichen and make the bread yourself. This Kumara Bread isn’t a sourdough but is delicious all the same.