Recipe: Tomato Bruschetta

Photo Courtesy of Sony Pictures

Now that tomatoes really are in season, or will be any day now, this is the thing to make. As with any dish with just a few simple ingredients, the quality of the ingredients and technique are key.

First, find yourself some excellent bread--this is crucial--choose a rustic loaf with a stretchy, hole-y interior and a crisp crust. If it's a round loaf, cut it into slices about 3/4 inch thick, and then cut those slices in half on an angle.

For the movie, we fried the bread in olive oil, as is Nora's preference, but I usually grill or toast it in a hot oven (400°). Either way, try to get it crunchy on the outside while retaining some softness in the center.

Then rub it lightly or heavily, as you wish, with a whole garlic clove (the garlic will disintegrate into the bread since the coarse bread will act like a grater) and drizzle with the best extra-virgin olive oil (if you haven't fried it) and sprinkle with good sea salt like Maldon, or Kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper.

Cut the tomatoes into chunks, tear basil leaves into medium-small pieces (plenty!), and toss with more olive oil. Let marinate for a while, and season with salt and pepper. Only use salt about 1/2 hour before using, as it will make the tomatoes release their juices, which you want, but not too much! If the bread is really crunchy, let the tomatoes sit for a few minutes before serving to soften the bread.