Dining a la Julie and Julia

Last Wednesday night, David and I channeled Julie and Julia in my kitchen. Seances and ouija boards were not involved, but instead tomatoes...lots and lots of tomatoes. Remember movie scene where Julie prepares bruschetta for her husband? She chops the tomatoes, remarks on how amazing fried bread is, and then they simultaneously take a big, crunchy, juicy bite of the bruschetta? Remember that scene. I do because at that point my mouth began to water.

Since I watched the movie, I've wondered about the recipe. And, bien sur, Google came to my rescue. I Google-d "Julie and Julia bruschetta." Let's just say, I was not alone. There were thousands of search results. Different foodies offer different recipes, but here's what I did.....

1 loaf crusty French bread (I like a hard exterior)

1 package small heirloom tomatoes (The more colorful, the better)

4-5 basil leaves

Balsamic vinegar

Extra virgin olive oil

2-3 tbsp butter

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Please excuse my lack of measurements for balsamic vinegar and olive oil. I simply added to taste. But, if forced to approximate, I would say, 3 tablespoons of each. Just enough to cover about half the tomatoes. First I slice the bread and fry it in a combination of butter and EVOO on each side. I slice the tomates and let them soak in the vinegar, EVOO with a generous sprinkle of S&P. After the bread is golden on each side, I remove and top with the tomato mixture and then sprinkle julienned basil on top. Absolute perfection.

Here are the results: