Bruschetta

Anyone who likes to go out to Italian restaurants knows what Bruschetta is. It's not difficult to make and most Italian restaurants have their own way of making it. This recipe was created to use all the ingredients that Steve and I love. I try to add kalamata olives to dishes whenever I can and in this recipe it makes perfect sense. I usually melt fontina cheese on the toasted bread and then top it with the tomato mixture. You don't have to do that if you don't want to. This time I didn't because it was a last minute decision to make the bruschetta and I used what ingredients I had, however, the cheese makes this unique bruschetta even better.


Michele and Steve’s Bruschetta

Ingredients:

1 French baguette
5 plum tomatoes, seeded, and finely chopped
12 Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
½ red bell pepper, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic- finely chopped (or to taste, depends on size of cloves)
1 small red onion
10 leaves basil, chiffonade
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
Fontina cheese thinly sliced

Mix tomatoes, olives, bell pepper, garlic, onion, basil, and olive oil, salt and pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Slice bread and bake or broil on high until lightly toasted. (Keep an eye on it...it will burn quickly) Place one slice Fontina on each slice, bake or broil until melted and bubbling. Add about one tablespoon of brushetta to each slice of bread.

Enjoy!