SUMMER FRESH TOMATO and KALAMATA OLIVE BRUSCHETTA

This is a lovely bruschetta recipe packed with flavour.  Fresh tomatoes, a dash of garlic to keep away the vampires, and a mixture of fresh herbs that give a je ne sais quoi character to the appetizer, something that all good appetizers should have just to add a zany quality to your party! 

There is lots of fresh basil and parsley here. I decided to give it a Greek twist by adding some Kalamata olives, and then, at the last minute, I decided to throw in some capers. To top, I used one of my favourite cheeses, Pecorino Romano, freshly grated. I had some anchovies in the cupboard and I thought why not? For a few of the appetizers, I omitted the cheese and used an anchovy as a topping. Why? Because my guests deserve it, that's why! 

This recipe makes lots of appetizers, however, go ahead and adjust quantities as you need to. Here's my recipe:

Ingredients:

• 5 ripened plum tomatoes 
• 1 shallot, finely minced
• just a few Kalamata olives, pitted and finely chopped
• some capers, finely chopped

• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

• fresh basil sliced chiffonade style
• freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese  
• anchovies

Ingredients for the bread:

• Bread, cut into slices for serving. You could save your stale bread, cut it into slices and store it in a plastic bag until ready to use, and at that time you can lightly toast it.
• some olive oil 
• about one or two cloves of garlic 

Directions:

• Cut the tomatoes in half and remove the seeds. Rinse the tomatoes under cold running water to make sure all the seeds are gone, and then dry with paper towels. Once the tomatoes are dry, dice them up.    
• Make a dressing by mixing the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. 
• In a medium-sized bowl mix the shallots, tomatoes, capers and olives. 
• Pour the dressing over the tomato mixture and mix. 
• Set aside for about 3-4 hours. Do not refrigerate.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Right before the bruschetta is to be served, top each bread slice with a little olive oil and place them in the oven. Toast lightly. 
• Once the bread is out of the oven rub some garlic on each slice. 
• Top with the bruschetta.
• Top with the basil chiffonade 
• Top some slices with freshly grated Pecorino Romano 
• Top a few slices with anchovies. 
• Arrange on a platter and serve.

It's a promise: you'll enjoy biting into the crunchy slices of bread, and you'll savour the medley of fresh herbs and vegetables that make up the delicious je ne sais quoi character of this treat!