Heirloom Tomato and Fresh Mozzarella Bruschetta

If you love tomatoes like I do, this is your time of year. It's peak tomato season and gardens and farms are brimming with this glorious fruit.

I've been putting up quarts of my slow-cooked tomato sauce (see blog post for September 24, 2010 for this recipe) and eating juicy, fresh tomatoes every day. There's nothing like a fresh-picked, vine-ripened heirloom for great tomato flavor and texture.

Here's another bread and tomato combination that's very easy. Many bruschetta recipes call for chopped tomatoes, but this recipe uses sliced tomatoes. It saves you a step and I think it's easier to eat, too; you don't have all those tomato pieces falling off the bread.

Grilling the bread adds a wonderful flavor component, but you can toast the bread on a cookie sheet or rack in your oven, if you don't feel like grilling.

Heirloom Tomato and Fresh Mozzarella Bruschetta

12 1/2-inch slices of a hearty, round baguette
2-3 T olive oil

Pre-heat the grill or oven (to about 350 degrees, if using an oven). Brush the bread slices with olive oil on both sides. Grill until lightly browned on one side, then turn over and grill on the other side. You can do this step ahead, but it's best to use the grilled bread the same day that you grill it.

12 1/2-inch slices ripe heirloom tomato about the same diameter as the bread slices
12 slices fresh mozzarella a little smaller than the tomato and bread slices
sea salt
handful of Silver Lake Farms microgreens

Place a slice of tomato atop the grilled bread. Sprinkle with a little sea salt. Top with mozzarella and a small bunch of microgreens. Serve immediately or set aside for an hour or two to allow the tomato juices to soak into the grilled bread.

Occasionally, I like to substitute burrata for the fresh mozzarella. And you can use finely chopped basil instead of microgreens, if you prefer.

Today's bounty included: Green leaf lettuce, red chard, corn, green beans, pluots, nectarines, raspberries, French morning melon, arugula shoots and heirloom tomatoes.

Enjoy!

Shelley