Roasted Red Pepper Bruschetta

Summer is here, and it is in full effect. The sun is shining, the weather is delightfully hot, and there are backyard parties and barbecues nearly every weekend. Whether you’re the host or the lucky friend, I have the perfect crowd-pleasing recipe: bruschetta. It’s a flavorful combination of key Mediterranean summer flavors; sun-ripened tomatoes, fresh herbs, and drizzles of olive oil atop crusty toasted bread. It’s a simple way to start the party that when done, almost looks too good to eat.

Ingredients:

1 lb cherry tomatoes

1 large red bell pepper

2 cloves garlic

2 large sprigs of fresh basil, about 12-16 leaves

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 c extra virgin olive oil

1 French baguette

Sea salt and ground black pepper (to taste)

Instructions:

1. Start up the grill. The grill should be extremely hot
2. Take your red bell pepper and place it directly on the grill to roast. You want the pepper to be charred and black on all sides. Depending on the heat of your grill, this will take around 5 minutes per side. Note: You can also do this indoors under your stove’s broiler.
3. Take the pepper off the grill and let it cool slightly. Meanwhile, chop all your ingredients. Cut cherry tomatoes into quarters and then once again across the middle. Finely mince the garlic. To easily cut the basil, roll the leaves together so it’s shaped like a tube. Starting at one end of the tube, make very thin slices, working your way up.
4. Once your pepper is cool, peel off the blackened skin. It should come off very easily. Toss the core and skin. You’ll be left with soft, fleshy roasted perfection.
5. Chop the pepper into small cubes, roughly the size of the tomatoes. In a medium sized bowl combine all your chopped ingredients.Toss in the olive oil and vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste.
6. Cover and set aside for an hour or so. This allows the flavors to mingle and do their thing.
7. While that’s going on, cut your loaf of bread diagonally into slices about a 1/4 in thick. Tip: The larger the slant of your diagonal slice, the longer the slice and the more surface area you’ll have for toppings!
8. Brush both sides with olive oil and place on the hot grill for approximately 30 seconds per side.
9. Top the toasted baguette slices with your tomato-red pepper mixture. Serve as it, or sprinkle with a little freshly grated parmesan cheese.