Nothing Neutral About It

What comes to mind when you think of Switzerland? Mountains... Alps? A neutral county? Skiing? Anything to do with winter and snow? Chocolate... fondue... bruschetta... my mind, as typical, wanders to things related to food. Wait... bruschetta? How'd that slip in there?

It's true, this is probably the only place that you're going to see anyone pair bruschetta and Switzerland, but did you know that Switzerland's National Day is August 1st? What a great stretch... our National Ice Cream Day was July 20th and Switzerland celebrates their day soon after!

And to celebrate, Zorra of Kochtopf has invited us to send her something Swiss... OR red and/or white! And here's where my fresh tomato bruschetta comes in... not to mention it has been the perfect recipe to use up our monstrous tomato plants currently taking over our backyard.


We have enjoyed this recently perhaps too many times, but it can't be helped since it's a delicious and easy appetizer and just feels perfectly "summer" since I usually pick the fresh tomatoes from our garden about 30 minutes before the dish is on the table!


Fresh Tomato Bruschetta

1 baguette, sliced into 1/2 to 3/4 inch slices
3/4 c olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves

my measurement: two handfuls of cherry tomatoes (or as many fresh tomatoes as you need for your crowd), chopped
2 TBSP+ fresh basil, cut in a fine chiffonade
pinch of salt
balsamic vinegar, to taste (about 2-3 TBSP)

Preheat your oven to 350. In one layer, spread baguette slices on a greased baking sheet. Brush each slice with a conservative amount of olive oil. Place the baking sheet in the oven for 5-7 minutes, being careful not to burn. Immediately upon taking the baguette slices out, rub each slice on one side with the cut side of the garlic cloves; reserve the cloves after using.

Evenly dice the tomatoes and put into a large bowl. Mince the garlic cloves used for rubbing the baguette slices. Add the garlic, basil, salt, and balsamic vinegar. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.

To serve individual appetizers, prepare each baguette slice with a spoonful of tomatoes. Or, to prepare a self-serve option, put the tomato mixture into a serving bowl and place the garlicky-toasted bread slices close by.

However you celebrate Switzerland's National Day, I hope it's delicious! Check Zorra's round-up on the big day, August 1st!