Bruschetta

For summer dinner parties, you don't want to spend your time slogging around your hot kitchen, fussing over some hot, complicated dish that you know is best saved for January, when sweating isn't such a problem. I absolutely hate being sweaty- I really can't handle it. I get very aggitated and uncomfortable and have to go lie down in a cold room for a while and regroup. At the gym I select my workout mahine based on which one is closest to the fan. I don't know what it is- I guess I'm better suited for cold climates and snow. I chose to study abroad in Sweden- like by the Artic Circle.

Anyway- in the summetime you want things that are light, quick, and simple to make, and preferably don't require you to turn on the stove or oven for too long. Fortunately- in the summertime everything is so fresh and seasonal that you don't need to do too much to make a really stellar dish. Its actually best if you don't fiddle around with the food too much, so cut some corners and make your life a little easier!

Here is the recipe for bruschetta, one of my favorite summer dinner party starters. Its perfect because you can mix up the tomato bit and slice the bread in advance, then just before your guests arrive you can throw it all together and leave it out for everyone to enjoy. Make sure you put out some plates or napkins, these can be very messy (in the best way).

Recipe:

Take two boxes of cherry or grape tomatoes and slice them all in halve so they can absorb all the good flavors you're about to add.

Drizzle the tomatoes with two tablespoons good olive oil, three tablespoons balsalmic vinegar, and one tablespoon honey. Summer tomatoes are sweet- so play up that flavor.

Dice up one or two cloves of garlic- depending on your taste, and add that to the mix. Finely chop two green onions or scallions (the white and the green parts) and add that too.

Gather about a half cup of fresh basil leaves and slice these into nice thin strips and toss them into the bowl. Salt and pepper the whole thing to taste, give it all a big stir, and let the whole thing sit in the fridge for a bit. You can let it sit for a few hours- but try to give it at least twenty minutes to let the flavors amalgamate.

When you're ready to serve, Slice a baguette into half inch diagonal slices and spread them out over a baking sheet. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and some salt and pepper, and put it under the broiler for just a few minutes. Broiling the bread gives it a nice crusty texture that soaks up all the tomato flavor (it also keeps the hot oven sweat-inducing time to a minimum). Watch these closely- the line between golden brown and smokey black is a very thin one.

When the bread is all toasty and golden, plate it up and top with the tomato mixture. If you want to get fancy, drizzle the whole plate with a bit more olive oil and some chopped up basil. Serve these with a bit of chilly white wine and a big bowl of grapes and you will have some very happy guests.