Friday, August 15, 2008

Tomato and Cucumber Bruschetta

Tomatoes and cucumbers play well together. This little recipe came on one of those nights when i was trying to use what I had in the house. My mother used to call it living out of the pantry, and I think learning to improvise and create delicious foods from what you have on hand in an invaluable skill. This delicious concoction has easily earned itself a spot in my list of summer go to appetizers. I originally made this one evening when my Aunt came over for dinner. I was looking for something tasty for us to munch on as we casually prepared our dinner, and sipped our chardonnay. All of the measurements in this recipe are strictly estimates. If you are a little shy on any of the ingredients, go ahead and go for it. You won't be disappointed.

Ingredients:
1 cup chopped tomato
1 cup chopped cucumber
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1 small clove of garlic (grated)
3 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons of olive oil

Serves 5 as an hors d'oeuvres

Here it is, nice and simple. Basically just throw everything into a bowl and mix it up. I know, i wish i could give you more guidance here, but it really isn't needed. This recipe is super simple, so just go with it. Typically I dislike recipes with a ton of ingredients, but it really won't take you long once you collect everything from around the kitchen. I had this done (all of the chopping and everything) in well under 10 minutes. Serve with crackers, crostini, or even tortilla chips. This is best made right before being served.

Tip: If your tomatoes seem really watery, just discard the seeds. Skins are fine though, and even encouraged!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sounds delicious. I might have to try this at the baptism!! ~Kelly

Anonymous said...

I make this as a lettuce-less salad by using bigger chucks of cucumber and tomato and adding feta. It's my favorite greek salad. I mix honey or agave with the balsamic. I didn't think to use it as a bruschetta. Great recipe!