Another appetizer I had at my birthday party this year was a simple bruschetta with tomatoes and fresh basil. Along with fresh pieces of garlic and some freshly ground black pepper, this was one fantasticly fresh-tasting topping for toasted slices of a bakery loaf of Italian bread.
2 ripe tomatoes, cored and diced
10 finely shredded leaves of fresh basil
Freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves of garlic, sliced
Slices of fresh Italian bread
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher or sea salt
Preheat a grill or broiler. Mix together the tomatoes, basil, pepper, and garlic in a large bowl. Drizzle the slices of bread with olive oil and grill or broil until browned. Top the slices of bread with the tomato mixture and sprinkle with salt before serving.