Tomato Bruschetta on Garlic Toasts

Bruschetta is a wonderful and refreshing late summer treat. It can be enjoyed at room temperature or slightly chilled like gaspacho. This recipe is prepared with galric toasts (or crustinis), but it can be enjoyed atop flat bread, pita chips, or many other cracker products.

Recipe: Tomato Bruschetta on Garlic Toasts

Summary: To quickly and efficiently seed tomatoes, cut the tomato in half diagonally. Gently squeeze out the seeds or push them out with the tip of a knife or small spoon.
Ingredients

* 2 cups chopped, seeded tomato
* 1/3 cup finely chopped green onions
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 Tablespoon capers (optional. Will add tang)
* 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
* 8 ounce loaf of French baguette

Instructions

1. In a medium-sized bowl combine the tomato, green onion, garlic, mustard, and pepper. Gently stir in thyme (and capers – if using). Cover and let stand for 30 minutes at room temperature so the flavors can fuse. You can also cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
2. To make the toast, slice bread into 1/4 inch thick slices (will make approx. 24). Place bread slices on an ungreased baking sheet. For additional flavor lightly brush the top of the bread slices with olive oil and add oregano, black pepper, or other ground Italian spices.
3. Place the toast slices in the oven and bake at 425 ° for 5 minutes or until light brown and crisp. The bread slices will need to be turned once during baking.
4. Assemble the Bruschetta. Top each slice of toast with 1 tablespoon of the tomato mixture.