TOMATO BASIL BRUSCHETTA

DIRECTIONS FOR TOMATO BASIL BRUSCHETTA:

1) - Place garlic in food processor and process until minced.
2) - Add leaves (a little at a time depending on the size of your food processor - sometimes taking the whole bunch and tearing it in half helps) and process until finely chopped.

3) - Add olive oil, apple cider vinegar (if desired) and tomatoes. Pulse the processor until the tomatoes are chopped.
4) - Salt to taste.

Everything is to taste. Remember, recipes are a guideline, not a rule. If something is crucial to the recipes success, I’ll tell you. Otherwise, personalize it - have fun, mix it up – enjoy!

TIPS, TRICKS & TECHNIQUES:

Basil
~ Basil is available in most local supermarkets in small containers near other herbs, or sometimes in larger quantities in bags or plastic bins - some with their roots still attached. You can always plant it. It does great outside during warm months, or inside all year.
~ Basil doesn’t usually rot, but instead gets black spots and begins to dry out and shrivel up. This is helpful in that it can still be used in some recipes. Fresh is always best, but if you don’t want to throw it out, try some of it in a batch of our raw pesto.

Food Processor
~ I travel a lot, so I use a Cuisinart Smart Stick w/ attachments. The chopper attachment is a food processor w/ a 2 cup capacity. This is great for me as I like to make things fresh and usually in small batches. When I make larger batches of recipes, I simply process each ingredient separately and place them all into a mixing bowl as I go. If you often do larger batches, you might prefer a processor with a larger capacity. There are many options available.
~ Not all food processors are the same. Play with yours to figure out what works best. Some can take all ingredients at once and just push the button while others need a little at a time and maybe a good shake to get the ingredients to combine. Don’t be afraid to tap it, shake it, knock it – if it can’t withstand this basic torture, it’s time to upgrade to a better quality unit.

If you don’t have a food processor
~ Everything can be done with a knife. It takes a little longer for some, but now you only have the knife to wash.
~ Make sure you use a good quality, sharp knife or this will be a very frustrating experience.
~ Garlic presses work great, or use the side of your knife blade to smash the garlic before chopping it. This brings out more of the garlic juices, better mixing the flavor with the rest of the ingredients vs. just getting an occasional, intense bite of garlic.

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