A few weeks ago I decided to test out my green thumb and planted some herbs and flowers on my balcony. I have always wanted to have a garden but have never lived somewhere where that was possible. So planter boxes it was! I planted basil, parsley, thyme, and cilantro.
I have to say I am pretty impressed with how well they are all doing (so far). The cilantro is the only one not really working out. When I went to the garden store I asked for some advice on each herb, I was told to not let the cilantro to go to seed. I nodded my head like I knew what she was talking about. Well when I noticed my cilantro wasn’t doing well I did some more research and discovered you don’t want the plant to flower and need to trim it to keep the cilantro leaves growing.
The good news is that my parsley, thyme, and basil are doing great! I have been dying to make some bruschetta with my basil so when I was at the farmers market this weekend and spotted some cherry tomatoes I knew it was the perfect time.
Personally cherry tomatoes are really the only tomatoes I like to eat as is. All other tomatoes I don’t think are as juicy and flavorful. Heirloom tomatoes can be but can only be found during the summer months.
So I got some cherry tomatoes, a huge stalk of fresh garlic, and a baguette to pair with my homegrown basil. The result is a simply delicious appetizer/lunch/snack/whenever you want food.
Bruschetta
Ingredients
- 1 lb cherry tomatoes, sliced in half or in fourths depending on size
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (plus more for brushing)
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 15 basil leaves, sliced thinly
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 crusty baguette
- fresh mozzarella, sliced (if desired)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl combine cherry tomatoes, minced garlic, 4 tablespoons olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Let sit.
- Slice baguette diagonally into ½ pieces and place on a baking sheet. Brush tops with olive oil and bake for 8-10 minutes until just browned and toasted. (If you want to add mozzarella to the bread, place a slice on top of the bread 2-3 minutes before done toasting and let melt).
- Remove bread from oven and top with tomato mixture. Serve immediately.
