Today’s recipe isn’t rocket science, folks – bruschetta is peasant food. Like most peasant food, making bruschetta is a way of taking little bits and specks of leftovers and reimagining them into something delicious! You’ll need small quantities of fresh vegetables, a few slices of not-very-fresh bread, and a bit of cheese. Surely you have all of that lurking in your kitchen, right?

The key to delicious bruschetta is warm toasted bread combined with cold toppings, served immediately. Let’s get started!

I wasn’t kidding – we’re using up leftovers today!

Ingredients (Makes 2 lunch servings)

2 large or 4 small slices of day old bread

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup diced tomato

1/4 cup diced peppers, garlic, and/or onion (any combination you like)

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 ounces diced cheese (I used fresh mozzarella)

A few basil leaves, sliced into thin shreds

Directions

Step 1) Combine diced tomatoes, peppers, garlic, onion, and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl. Place in the refrigerator to chill.

Step 2) Cut bread slices into 2 inch strips and place on a baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, coat top sides of bread strips with olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt if desired (optional). Broil on a low setting for about 3 minutes. Watch carefully – bread should be toasted but not burned!

Step 3) Arrange bread on serving plates. Top with diced vegetables, diced cheese, and shredded basil. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the top, and serve immediately.

Enjoy!