Toast to Summer

I have recently had a revelation about toast. Specifically about garlic toast.

Toast is not one of those things you need a recipe for, though I'm going to give you one anyway. Whether it’s the perfect triangle of white bread toast from the local Waffle House (a particular favorite of mine), or a more sturdy piece of whole grain bread emerging golden brown and delicious from the toaster, or a browned circle of English muffin with its trademark nooks and crannies puddled with butter, toast is a pretty straightforward treat. Furthermore, it’s true, as a friend has told me, that “toast is one of the few things nicer than world domination.” It’s just as satisfying, but you don’t have to work nearly as hard to get it.

One of the most crunchy and flavorful versions of toast known to man is a delightful thing called bruschetta.

Bruschetta is slices of Italian bread toasted, rubbed with garlic, brushed with olive oil, and topped with whatever the chef desires. On first look, it seems pretty simple, as all toast does. But here’s the thing—with bruschetta, it doesn’t stop at the first look. I’ve seen bruschetta topped with tapenade, with sautéed porcini mushrooms and feta, with stewed fig and mascarpone. I recently watched an Iron Chef America episode on the Food Network during which Iron Chef Michael Symon topped bruschetta with uni. Uni, in case you’re wondering (and there’s a definite ewwwww factor coming, so be warned) is sea urchin gonads. You may not want to eat it, but you will definitely take a second look.

I’m fascinated by different ways of making bruschetta, but the bruschetta I like best to eat features a far more humble ingredient than those already mentioned. My favorite bruschetta features summer’s best ingredient—tomatoes.

When tomato is paired with basil, you can’t go wrong with this bruschetta. What I find most pleasing is the pronounced, but not overpowering, garlic flavor. This method completely tops both ways I used to make garlic toast. In the first way—mixing softened butter with a fair amount of garlic powder before spreading it on the bread—the dehydrated garlic sometimes tasted bitter. In the second way—topping buttered bread with minced garlic—the garlic sometimes burned. But in my new way of making garlic toast—and here’s the revelation—the garlic tastes like garlic and nothing else. It doesn’t taste like bitterness and it doesn’t taste like burnt. So you have garlic, olive oil, tomatoes, basil, and salt. And what could be more satisfying than that? Not even world domination.

Classic Summer Bruschetta

1 1-pound loaf Italian bread, sliced on the bias ½-inch thick

1 whole head of garlic

6 to 8 large basil leaves

about ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

6 medium Roma tomatoes, seeded and roughly chopped

kosher salt

Preheat your oven to 375˚. Cut the garlic head in half along the equator, leaving the cloves intact. Set aside. Stack the basil leaves; starting with a long end, roll them up and then cut the roll into ribbons. Set aside.

Lay the bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. When the oven is hot, toast the bread for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once and watching that it doesn’t burn. (You can also grill the bread; it won’t take nearly as long.) Immediately after removing the pan of bread from the oven, begin rubbing the cut side of the garlic onto each slice. I have found it easier to hold the bread in a mitted hand rather than rubbing it while flat on the pan. Ignore the little bits of garlic paper that might flake off, or, if you’re persnickety, pick them off with tweezers.

After all the bread has been rubbed, brush each piece with the olive oil. Top with tomatoes, basil ribbons and a sprinkle of salt.