I had some girlfriends over for wine and hors d’oeuvres the other night and called my mom to get her recipe for bruschetta topping. She’s the best cook I know. This recipe is super easy to prepare ahead of time and just let sit in the fridge until it’s ready to be served! I make it a day ahead of time so that all the juices and vegetables have time to get to know each other and get juuuicy. One thing you’ll notice about my recipes is that they are almost NEVER going to include a few things – mushrooms, olives, or ONIONS. This one is an exception because the flavor that it adds to the dish is worth it – but I always pick around! hah!
Serves – 4 hungry ladies

• 4 – large plum tomatoes (or whatever kind of tomato you’re in the mood for)
• 1 – sweet onion (shudder)
• Fresh Basil Leaves (produce section of grocery)
• EVOO
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Sugar (or Splenda for the calorie paranoid)
• Johnny’s Garlic Spread (a family secret – we’ve been ordering this online for years… follow the link to order some for yourself – but if you don’t have it on hand, you can use a mixture of two minced garlic cloves, 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, and your favorite combination of spices)
• Balsamic Vinegar

1. Chop up the tomatoes into smaller than bite sized pieces and toss into a large mixing bowl.
2. Chop up the onions into small pieces …or big pieces if you plan to avoid them completely . Toss them into the tomato pile.
3. Rip up half of the leaves of your fresh basil and toss into the bowl – we’re going to save the other half for a bit later.
4. Take your EVOO and pour on top of your vegetables. In the words of my mom, “you want it to be wet – but not swimming in EVOO.”
5. Throw in a dash of sugar/splenda – around a half of a tablespoon. You don’t want to clearly taste the sugar in the topping – but it definitely gives the flavor another dimension.
6. Another dimension of flavor is added with just a tiny splash of balsamic vinegar. It gives it a tiny tang that really works with the tomatoes.
7. Throw in 1/4 of a cup of Johnny’s Garlic Spread – or your own mixture (see above).
8. Get your hands in there and mix it all up and give it a taste. Add salt accordingly and use your own judgment to add more of what you think it might need for your taste.
9. Let side in fridge for at least 6 hours (or over night if you made it a day ahead). Before serving, add a few more leaves of ripped up basil leaves for a fresher taste and add a touch more of EVOO if you think it could you a bit more moisture. It should have the consistency of the above picture.

Great when accompanied by Garlic Toast! (next post!)