Fresh, flavorful, and delightfully simple, the sun-kissed Italian cuisine is heaven on a plate. 

One of my favourite things to eat is Bruschetta, whenever we go out to a restaurant, if Bruschetta is on the menu I order it. The bruschetta, with its history spanning centuries of Tuscan tradition, may seem like just a slice of garnished bread, it's actually a light, flavorful, enjoyable dish - many would say, the perfect starter.

What is Bruschetta?

Bruschetta is an antipasto (starter dish) from Italy consisting of grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with olive oil and salt. You can add toppings from tomatoes to cheese to vegetables and cured meats. My favourite Bruschetta is tomato and basil, which is what I have made here.

Ingredients

Toppings:

• 500g tomatoes (I love to use the red and yellow tomatoes for flavour and colour)

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 small red onion, finely chopped

• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar

• salt and fresh ground black pepper

Bruschetta:

• A loaf of Ciabatta bread

• Garlic clove

• Olive oil

Method 

Toppings:

Place your tomatoes in a bowl and pour boiling water over. Remove them after 30 seconds and peel. Cut your peeled tomatoes into quarters and scoop out the seeds. Finely chop your red onion.

Add all the ingredients, including the olive oil, white wine vinegar, finely chopped onion and season with salt and pepper into the bowl and give it a toss.

It's now ready to serve.

Bruschetta:

Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Cut the Ciabatta into 1-inch slices. Place bread on grill pan cut side down and grill on both sides until golden and crisp. Remove from the pan and drizzle with olive oil, and whilst still warm, rub garlic cloves over the grilled bread.

You are now ready to add your toppings!

Enjoy.

You can find more great recipes from our friends at the Village Bakery.

After you have poured boiling water over your tomatoes, peel and quarter them (scooping the seeds out too) so you're left with skinless, seedless, sweet moorish tomato flesh.

Grill your bread on a frill pan, both sides under brown and crispy, but soft in the middle.

Light, flavorsome and just so delicious and so very simple to make.