Monday, August 20, 2012

Tomato Crostini




From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The shelves and bins at our local markets are starting to sag and bulge under the weight of produce coming from nearby farms. Peppers, especially the sweet green ones, have heard the biblical injunction to be fruitful and multiply, and there are more of them available than can ever be consumed. I suspect the excess will soon join overripe blackberries as fodder for local compost heaps. We have melons galore and corn, which is so problematic in other areas of the country, is plentiful here. Early apples are starting to come in and peaches, now in their prime, are picked daily and make their way to freezers and canning kettles throughout the county. Tomatoes are slow this year, but local heirlooms have arrived and boxes of plum tomatoes can be found if you are willing to expand your definition of what "local" means. Those in the markets, whatever their origin, are blood red, sweetly fragrant and ready to be put-by. This is also the time of year to enjoy all those dishes whose flavor is dependent on summer tomatoes. Several years ago, I found the recipe I'm featuring tonight in The River Cafe Classic Italian Cookbook by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers. It has become my go-to crostini recipe and I use it a lot at this time of year. While the crostini are simple to make, they are truly delicious and the recipe is a perfect addition to this week's collection of simple, scrumptious dishes. I know most of you can make crostini with your eyes closed, but I do hope you'll give this version a try. It is really special. If you use seasonally ripe tomatoes, fresh basil and good bread, you are in for a real taste treat. Here's the recipe.


Tomato Crostini...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of The River Cafe Classic Italian Cookbook and an original recipe by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers

Ingredients:
2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cored, halved, seeded, chopped into 1/4-inch-thick slices
3 garlic cloves, 2 minced, 1 halved
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive plus more for drizzling
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 loaf ciabatta or baguette, cut on a diagonal into 1/3" pieces, toasted or grilled
1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped

Directions:

1) Combine tomatoes and minced garlic in a large bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil and vinegar; toss to mix well. Cover and let tomatoes marinate at room temperature, stirring occasionally, for 2–3 hours to allow flavors to develop.
2) Rub one side of toasted bread with cut sides of remaining garlic clove; drizzle bread with oil and cut in half crosswise. Add basil to tomato mixture in bowl and toss well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Arrange crostini on a platter. Spoon some tomato mixture on top of each crostini.







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24 comments :

Choc Chip Uru @ Go Bake Yourself said...

This looks so fresh and delicious my friend, great job :D

Cheers
Choc Chip Uru

Lynn said...

Not only easy but beautiful too:@)

Tracy's Living Cookbook said...

I loved your description of the sagging shelves of beautiful produce. So well said. As far as the recipe today, well, I could eat stuff like this every day - love this kind of fresh clean eating.

Prema said...

wow thats yummy post,very colourful...delicious crostini.

Unknown said...

I wish we had that sort of bounty when it comes to produce. Our produce here is thin and starting to look very sick like... even the farmers markets don't seem to be as full. But, with that said, there is not a shortage on tomatoes... never seems to be. LOVE crostinis too.. this is the perfect appetizer in my book!

Priya Suresh said...

Fantastic crostini,definitely a crowd pleaser.

Duncan D. Horne - the Kuantan blogger said...

Hi Mary, just the mention of peaches makes me salivate! Anyway, those tomato snacks look very appetizing.
Duncan In Kuantan

Anonymous said...

Hi! I just want to make an observation. The difference between bruschetta and crostini is the rubbed garlic. Crostini has NO garlic rubbed. If you rub garlic on bread, you have a bruschetta. So this is a recipe of bruschetta, not crostini.

Mary Bergfeld said...

chefnoforno, it is my understanding that size also distinguishes the two, with crostini (little toasts) being smaller that bruschetta. It is also important to note that I did not name this recipe. Your input and knowledge are appreciated. I'm sure the gals who wrote the cookbook would also like to hear from you. Have a great day. Blessings...Mary

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Dining Alone said...

This is one of my husband's favorite appetizers. We are also getting a lot of nice produce, I love it! Have a great week!

David said...

Mary, A simple, attractive and satisfying snack or appetizer! One of our favorites! Thanks and Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Big Dude said...

They look so bright and fresh, I know they must be delicious.

Catherine said...

Dear Mary, I would love to have one of those beautiful crostini. They look perfect. Blessings dearest. Catherine xo

Marialuisa said...

I love anything with tomatoes, olive oil, salt and bread. Perfect for summer nights at home.
Loved the recipe
Thanks for sharing it
Love from Spain
Marialuisa

JG said...

This looks yummy, Mary! A delicious way to use our fresh local ripe tomatoes. Thanks!
~Judy

France@beyondthepeel said...

Perfect timing for all those gorgeous tomatoes we're getting in!

France@beyondthepeel said...

Such a beautiful appy/lunch. I could see myself even eating this for breakfast.

Kim said...

Here too it's end of summer bounty! I just canned about 100 lbs of tomatoes last 3 days and they are so red and perfect! Of course, I saved a couple a these and I think I'm gonna prepare these crostinis!

Leslie said...

I love me some summer veggies!!! love your crostinis!

www.you-made-that.com said...

Looks so delicious and fresh, I love a simple appetizer. I also happen to have some ciabatta bread in the fridge too :) so I just might be making this soon,

Ellen Whyte said...

Oh my how I love crostini! And the picture is delightful too.

Zane and Van said...

Beautiful and yummy! It doesn't get any better than this. Thanks for sharing dear ;)

Chiara said...

Crostini or bruschetta ? It isn't important the name, this is a good recipe...have a good day Mary, blessings....

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