Simple Bruschetta

Since I have spent most of my time since school has let out in the kitchen, I've decided to add my favorite recipes to my blog as well as craft ideas. This is one of my family's favorite treats, and it is as easy and inexpensive as it is tasty... Which is good, considering how often they ask me to make it!

This bruschetta recipe has only 8 items on the shopping list, including the salt and pepper:

5-6 Roma tomatoes
One small package of fresh mozzarella
One loaf crusty French bread
A handful (10-12) large basil leaves
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Sea salt
Your favorite pepper

Dice the tomatoes and place in a bowl. I like to slice the stem ends off the tomatoes and squeeze the seeds out before chopping. Then finely chop the basil leaves and add to the bowl of tomatoes. Toss in two tablespoons each olive oil and balsamic vinegar, as well as salt and pepper (to taste). Mix well and let rest for about 15 minutes, to let the flavors blend.
While you are waiting, thinly slice the mozzarella and the french bread. If you find that you bought the pre-sliced mozzarella (as I found when I opened the package this evening), you may want to slice them even more, or you may find yourself out of mozzarella when everything else is only half eaten... :)
Serve the tomato alongside the mozzarella and bread as in my picture, or you can go one step further and prepare individual appetizer bites by layering the bread with mozzarella then tomatoes and present on a platter. (A few extra basil leaves make a beautiful garnish...)
I'll be adding more of my favorite recipes this summer ~ if you try them, let me know! Especially if you add a little change here and there... I love a new twist on old favorites!
~aimee