Bruschetta is one of the easiest party foods to make, it is essentially just toast topped with garlic, chopped tomatoes, basil leaves and olive oil – although you could also just as easily make bruschetta with soft cheese, smoked salmon and dill, or even avocado and bacon – whatever topping you think your guests would enjoy! Usually bruschetta is made by toasting ciabatta slices in the oven – but ciabatta slices can be quite large and therefore messy to eat at a party, with half of the topping ending up on the carpet! So unless you’re serving it on plates at a table, I would advise using baguette slices instead as they are much easier to serve as a canapé.
You will need:
- 1 baguette
- 1 punnet of plum or cherry tomatoes, chopped
- 1 bunch of basil leaves, chopped (or snipped with scissors)
- 6 cloves of garlic, crushed
- Olive oil, salt & pepper
Method:
- Pre-heat the oven to 230°C.
- Slice the baguette into slices, about 1cm thick, then put them in the oven for a few minutes (usually 5 – 10 depending on ovens) until they are lightly toasted and light brown.
- Meanwhile, mix the chopped tomatoes with the shredded / chopped basil leaves and the crushed garlic, add a glug of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, to taste.
- When the bread is toasted, rub it with a clove of garlic, drizzle on some olive oil and then top with the tomato mixture.
- I like to serve them hen the toast is still hot but you can also serve them cold.
