We went sailing in Sardinia a couple of summers ago. After feigning nautical excitement for the first hour or so I soon fessed up and asked to be in charge of the Galley for the coming week. After a morning of sunbathing (me) and navigation skills (the hubbie) we got peckish and being anchored by a shopless island, I went below to investigate our supplies. Very stale bread, very ripe tomatoes, a clove of garlic and some basil created one of the best lunches of the trip. And arguably the year.
You might think that this blog is pretty basic but some of the most delicious things in life are pretty simple to create and are often overlooked as a result.
Ingredients
Bread, a baguette, ciabatta or other, stale is fine
Ripe tomatoes, opt for ones ripened on the vine (how many depends on their size and your hunger)
Sun dried tomatoes in oil (optional)
Fresh basil leaves (go for one large leaf per large tomato bought)
A couple of cloves of garlic
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Pinch of caster sugar
Salt and Pepper
Increase the circumference of baguette/ciabatta/flute you buy depending on whether you fancy serving them as canapes (skinny baguette), starter (medium flute) or lunch (large ciabatta).
Method
1. Chop the tomatoes and a couple of sun dried tomatoes into smallish pieces.
2. Slice the garlic cloves in half and tear up the fresh basil leaves.
3. Put the tomatoes and basil in a bowl, add a glug of the oil, a couple of teaspoons of vinegar, the sugar and seasoning and mix.
4. Slice the bread into 1.5 cm slices and toast either in the toaster, on a tray under the grill, or (if on a boat) in a dry frying pan. Once golden, remove and immediately vigorously rub one side of each piece of toast with the cut side of the garlic.
5. Moving quickly, top the garlic side of the toast with the tomato mix, drizzle over a little more olive oil and eat. (NB - If for some unknown reason they are not eaten within 10 minutes the bread will go a little soggy, even then they are still pretty moreish.)
A selection of bruschetta is always a winner (see following bruschetta blogs).
Sunshine in a mouthful.
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