This recipe started with a long awaited harvest of our garden tomatoes; when you don’t have to go for your vegetable to the fridge, but instead you walk outside to your back yard – you feel healthy right then and there. So we chose our ripest tommies and went to town…

First: make the topping for the Bruschettas

1. Mix together in a medium (preferably glass) bowl:

Note: I am not going to include the exact amounts for each ingredient, because I believe that salsas, tomato sauces, soups, toppings, etc. are very personal and can vary quite a bit; use your own judgment and listen to your culinary heart to adjust the ratios and even the size of the chunks in the topping.

•  diced ripe tomatoes (cored if tomato contains too much “mushy parts”)
• extra virgin olive oil (good quality)
• fresh basil leaves (chopped or torn into small pieces)
• pinch of dry oregano
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Then prepare the Bruschettas:

1. toast or broil 8 slices crusty Italian bread on both sides; time depends on your oven; in our case it was about 2 minutes per side
2. rub each slice with whole peeled garlic (if you like more garlic rub both sides)
3. use slotted spoon to scoop the topping on each slice, so any excess juice can drain and the toasted slices don’t become soggy
4. top with slices of fresh mozzarella (always buy the one packed in liquid-makes the cheese taste more fresh)
5. enjoy immediately with glass of chilled white wine and a couple of gourmet olives