Tomato Cucumber Bruschetta

This beautiful bruschetta clearly explodes with a burst of summer in your mouth. The combination of locally grown beefsteak tomatoes, farm fresh Kirby cucumbers, just picked basil from my backyard and a touch of garlic create a perfect balance of crunchy sweetness. The secret process for treating the baguette, is what takes this dish to the next level, of dare I say – decadence!

While I was watching TV this weekend and flipping through channels, I found Ree Drummond’s The Pioneer Woman’s show on Food Network. She was preparing what I viewed as a pretty average bruschetta and then she took the sliced baguette and fried it in butter! It turned a toasty golden brown and I could almost smell the warm butter through the screen.

Therefore I was inspired to go to the farmer’s market, pick up my ingredients and fry some bread! I added cucumbers for some refreshing crunch. These bad boys didn’t last long. My whole family devoured them within minutes! To think for years I just toasted the bread - shame on me.

Tomato Cucumber Bruschetta

Ingredients

2 medium beefsteak tomatoes, chopped in 1/2" dice
2 kirby cucumbers, chopped in 1/2" dice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup basil chiffonade*
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
kosher salt to taste
1 french baguette
4 - 5 tablespoons butter

Cooking Directions

In a medium bowl combine tomatoes and cucumbers. Set aside. In a medium saucepan heat olive oil on medium high and add garlic. Cook 2-3 minutes while stirring. Do not let the garlic brown. When slightly cooled, add oil mixture to tomatoes with the balsamic, half the basil and salt. Let sit at room temperature or cover and store in the refrigerator for up to two hours.
Slice baguette on the bias in 1/2" pieces. In a large saucepan melt butter on medium high heat. Place baguette slices in pan and "toast" on each side for 3 minutes or until bread is golden brown.
Place bread on a large platter and evenly divide tomato cucumber mixture between the slices. Top with the rest of the basil. Serve right away.

*To chiffonade basil remove leaves from stems and stack leaves of like size. Carefully roll the stacked leaves into a cylinder and thinly slice vertically.