Normally a tomato mix like this would be put directly on top of crispy bread pieces and of course the juices soak through and make the bread soggy quite quickly. I find by putting the cheese on top of the bread it acts as a barrier to the juices and even by the end of an evening the bread is still not soggy. I like that. Even the next day you can nuke leftovers in the microwave for a different taste sensation – nuking makes the bread soft and warm but not soggy.

I have changed the presentation to make life easier and prevent the bread going soggy. I make the tomato mix but put it in a bowl surrounded with crispy bread and a spoon. Guests use the spoon to put tomato mix on top of crisp bread. So visually, presentation is like chips and dip. Provide a basket of baked slices of French bread or bought crackers plus the bowl of prepared tomato mix and guests spoon tomato mix onto bread rounds. The advantage is that you don’t spend time spooning tomato mix on top of individual slices of bread in advance and bread doesn’t go soggy.

When I have a lot of fresh tomatoes I make this mix up and serve it with anything. It lasts several days in the fridge. It is important to let the tomato mixture sit for long enough for juices to be produced. Serve it over plain grilled salmon or chicken. You can add artichokes or asparagus, but adjust the amount of dressing so it is moist enough. The photo has small cubes of mozzarella and cooked salad shrimp added to this basic tomato Bruschetta.

Loaf of French bread cut into roughly half inch slices, you want 20 slices
1 pint basket of grape tomatoes, washed, dried and ¼ ‘d or about 4 large tomatoes cut into small pieces.
½ tsp sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp Balsamic vinegar - more to taste
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp ordinary olive oil (if you have a very acidic extra virgin olive oil, then I prefer to only use regular olive oil.)
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp chopped green of green (spring) onion
Some fresh chopped basil is also an option
about 8 slices provolone cheese from the deli

Add about 1 cup of cooked salad shrimp and 1 x 8 oz container of drained mozzarella balls.

1.)  Mix together tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper, balsamic, olive oil, fresh herbs and leave at room temperature for at least one hour to allow flavors to mingle and juices to be produced.
2.)  Put slices of French bread on baking sheet in a single layer. Bake in 350º oven for about 8 minutes until crisper, but not rock hard.
3.)  Remove bread from oven, place pieces of provolone torn to fit on each slice of bread, bake for 3-4 minutes until cheese is softening.
4.)  Remove from oven and top with spoonfuls of tomato mix. Or just place tomato mix in bowl and serve with crispy French bread or as a salad with lettuce and crusty bread.

Chef Oonagh Williams is an award winning British Chef/Instructor based in Merrimack, NH with a gluten and lactose intolerant adult son. Chef Oonagh has always cooked from scratch with all real ingredients so cooking gluten free meals is not a problem. Chef Oonagh focuses on gluten free baked goods that have to replicate the taste of her regular flour baked goods, since muffins, bread, pizza, cakes etc made from wheat are what people miss the most. 

Visit Chef Oonagh’s web site www.RoyalTemptations.com for recent gluten free recipes and watch for her appearances on WMUR’s Cooks Corner, with links to YouTube. Chef Oonagh teaches gluten free baking classes, offers months worth of baked goods, gives presentations, and provides a consultancy service to help ease the transition to gluten free living.

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