Bruschetta alla Luciano

This is a classic Italian appetizer that is easily added to a dinner when you are making pasta on the stove top.  Use only very fresh ingredients – neither dried basil nor package basil will work.  Chop the garlic from a fresh clove, removing the inner stem -- no jar garlic for this dish.  This really is best when summer’s tomatoes are coming ripe and you have basil from the garden.  In addition, the proportions are very important; each ingredient gives the dish a very distinct flavor.  My Parmesan is usually salty enough for the dish and I never add additional salt, however that is an option.  Many of the ingredients you need very little of (like the onion) so you will either have extra for another Italian dish.

Ingredients

• Fresh French baguette (white bread) -- not toasted

  • 4 Tbsp. diced Roma tomatoes

  • 1 tsp. chopped garlic.

  • 2 Tbsp. diced sweet onion

  • 2 tsp fresh basil

  • Pinch of pepper

  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil.

  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

  • 1/4 Gorgonzola cheese

Preperation

1. 1. Slice fresh French baguette 1/2 inch thick. Place the bread on a cook sheet

   2. Combine tomatoes, garlic, onion, basil, pepper, and olive oil and spread evenly on a cookie sheet.  Do not pile so high that it is going to fall off when eaten with the fingers -- be conservative.

   3. Sprinkle the Parmesan and Gorgonzola cheese on the top.

   4. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees until the cheese is melted about 10 minutes

Serves: 4

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