Cooking with Love

with Gianna Conte (Jan)

Cooking with Love

with Gianna Conte (Jan)

Gianna's Bruschetta

I am sure you've had lots of different Bruschetta from time to time. The most important part of this appetizer is the ripeness of the tomatoes, good olive oil and salt. I like to add melted fontina cheese to my toasted bread before I add my tomatoes.

When my mother was very young and poor, she would have this for dinner with her 8 brothers and sisters. Excluding the cheese and the bread was very old and dry. Her mother would wet the dry old bread with water, add some oil and salt and squish a tomato spiratically on the bread pieces.

The tomatoes in the picture were garden grown from a dear friend who lives in Florida. They were as sweet as sugar.

This is my recipe:

1 loaf of a French baguette, sliced diagonally

Fresh garlic for scraping on toasted bread

5 Roma tomatoes, cut into cubes

2-3 Tbs good olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Chopped fresh basil or fresh parsley

6 oz shredded fontina cheese

Directions:

Prepare tomatoes by combining with basil or parsley, salt and pepper, olive oil in a bowl.

Set aside. Let it sit on your counter.

Meanwhile, on cookie sheet, place bread slices and toast both sides, careful not to burn.

Remove from oven. While hot, take peeled garlic whole and scrape each piece. Like magic, the garlic is absorbed by the hot toast. Top each piece with shredded fontina cheese. Put back in the oven only until the cheese melts..... careful not to burn!!!!

Remove from oven and place on serving platter. Top toasted cheesy pieces of toast with spoons of tomato mixture. Be generous and pile on high.

Drizzle with olive oil.

Serves 6-8

Use ripe tomatoes