good things - Liz Posmyk
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About
  • My book
  • Writing & Media
  • FAQs

Recipe for bruschetta with basil and summer tomatoes

15/1/2013

 
Picture
Bruschetta with basil and tomato a la Lizzy
'I'm making toasted bread with garlic, would you like some too, pipike (little chicken),' my mother would ask when I was little. 'Nagyon finom! (it's very delicious)', she added enticingly, as she rubbed a clove of garlic over the thick slices of hot, freshly toasted continental bread.

Sometimes she would spread cultured butter on the bread beforehand. Remember olive oil wasn't readily available in the 1960s. In those days olive oil was something your mother bought it from the chemist. It was gently warmed and a few drops would be popped into your ear to ease the pain of an earache. It worked. And is still recommended by doctors and nurses today.

In summer, mum would slice some of my father's homegrown Oxheart tomatoes onto the toasted bread (or Pirítós as we knew it), making sure she added just the right sprinkle of salt and pepper. The tomatoes were just picked, still warm from the sunshine and simply bursting with flavour!
I thought about my mother and father and their love of Pirítós with garlic and tomato when Peter and I enjoyed a brunch of basil and tomato bruschetta at The Palms in Stanwell Park recently. It's one of our favourite cafes in the Wollongong region and well worth a visit. Chef/owner, Ian Draper, and his wife, Jo, pride themselves on the quality of the produce they use... my kind of people!

The tomatoes in our kitchen garden aren't doing terribly well this season (they are coming on very slowly), but the basil is flourishing and we have plenty of home grown garlic. So, after a trip to the Capital Region Farmer's Market last weekend, we returned with a basketful of beautifully ripe tomatoes from Torcaso Produce, together with Dom's wood fired continental bread and extra virgin olive oil from the O'Clerys at Homeleigh Grove. Needless to say, I set to work on preparing Bruschetta a la Lizzy, the perfect summertime brunch. I'm not going to give you a recipe per se, for the preparation is so simple that you don't need one. Just be sure to use the freshest of ingredients. Toast the bread. Rub it immediately with a clove of garlic. Arrange some sliced tomatoes over the garlicky bread, sprinkle with tiny basil leaves and good olive oil. Season to taste and serve while warm. 
Picture
Perfect for summertime brunch!
Picture
Fresh from the farmer's market, Roma tomatoes, ripe and ready to enjoy!
Picture
These home grown heirloom tomatoes remind me of the varieties my father used to grow. They were given to me by Dominic Torcaso, whose father has been growing them for many years!
Picture
Well, hello there food-fired Continental bread!
Picture
Good extra virgin olive oil is essential in my kitchen, but when I was little it was only available from the chemist!
Picture
Home grown garlic: no nasty chemicals. One little clove can go a long way!
Picture
Home-grown basil has a deliciously intense flavour and aroma

The (very simple) process in pictures...

Picture
Nom noms...
Print Friendly and PDF

Tell me, how are your tomatoes doing this season? Do you grow basil and garlic? What's your favourite olive oil? And do you bake your own wood fired bread?
Lisa link
14/1/2013 04:29:57 pm

JUST LOVELY!!! one of my favourite flavour combinations :)

And you've reminded me that I have a heap of basil growing that I need to use

Lizzy
14/1/2013 05:09:14 pm

It's delicious, isn't it Lisa! Enjoy the basil while it lasts! ; D

Ann link
14/1/2013 06:40:07 pm

These look simply delicious! My Roma tomatoes are growing but no garlic here! Love a good wood fired bread! Not too many here though.

Lizzy
15/1/2013 07:37:47 am

Hi Ann, oh how wonderful that you have Roma tomatoes growing well! Mine are so slow this season, many flowers, but not fruit. I am wondering if I need to pollinate by hand, in case the lack of bees recently is affecting?

Maureen @ Orgasmic Chef link
14/1/2013 07:25:34 pm

Is there anything better than this in the summer? Yum

Lizzy
15/1/2013 07:38:09 am

Not much.... ; )

ambradambra link
14/1/2013 08:19:27 pm

My parents, newly arrived from Italy in the mid '50s, tell horror stories of trying to buy olive oil in Sydney. Only available from a few select Italian grocery shops apparently.

Lizzy
15/1/2013 07:39:19 am

Hello, I can imagine the food culture shock your parents felt. Mine did too. There were no Italian grocery stores in my city that I know of in the 1950s and 60s.

Karen Rush
15/1/2013 06:38:12 am

Firstly I am blown away by your wonderful photography yet again. This recent blog entry is brimming full of light, energy, yumminess (is that a word) - in essence YOU. There are few in all the many many blogs I have read who can transfer their interesting selves in such a consistently interesting way. You carry us with you in your interesting food life, regular life and your past life firmly rooted in your rich Hungarian heritage liberally swathed in post-WWII Australia with bright happy entries. I look forward to your daily tweets as well. Thanks Liz. Your generosity knows no bounds. We are all the richer for that.
The subject of this entry is dear to my heart. It spells summer to me and almost all of the summers of my life. When I smell basil I am in heaven. Marry it with sun- ripened luscious tomatoes on toasted Italian bread and I know for certain I am in a state of bliss. My vegetable garden this summer is fairly dismal as I have been away overseas for a month. Thank goodness for the markets and their wonderful produce though. Thank goodness for you Liz.


Lizzy
15/1/2013 07:41:23 am

Lordy, Karen, thank you! I am blushing at your kind words, and chuffed at your compliments. Thank you very much. I have very fond memories of a happy family life; and I also love what I'm doing here. I guess it just shines through.

InTolerant Chef link
15/1/2013 06:46:15 am

Such simplicity but so much flavour indeed!
My Basil isn't doing much at the moment, it seems too be one of the few things not having a growth spurt. My garlic did OK despite the long cold winter, but my tomatoes are just covered in little green globes and as bushy as anything! I picked my first 4 yesterday and I think your brushetta sounds like a delicious lunch, especially drizzled with some gorgeous Homeleigh Grove Basil and garlic oil- yummo!

Lizzy
15/1/2013 07:44:41 am

Hi Bec... I have about five little basil plants (planted not that long ago) in a really sunny spot in the kitchen garden. They are doing really well. Some other little plants, in the shelter of the tall celery which I'm allowing to seed, are not doing so well. Yummo indeed! Thanks for popping by.

Jane @ Shady Baker link
15/1/2013 11:18:24 am

Hello Lizzy, finally getting back to your blog after a busy period of travelling and subsequently packing, unpacking and washing!

This looks amazing, I love those simple summer flavours. All of your ingredients look superb which is the key isn't it? Now I really feel like this for lunch! Lovely photos as always, how are you enjoying your new camera?

Yes, I have had success with, basil, garlic and woodfired bread recently. My tomato crop however has not been terribly successful this season. I am making plans for next summer already!

Lizzy
16/1/2013 01:22:02 pm

Hello there my friend Jane! Freshness is the key.... thank you for your kind words about the photos. The new camera is fun, a learning curve, but fun! Happy growing xo

Laura (Tutti Dolci) link
15/1/2013 04:03:59 pm

Bruschetta is my absolute favorite part of summer; I could (and nearly have!) eat it daily. Beautiful tomatoes!

Lizzy
16/1/2013 01:18:00 pm

Hi Laura, I am the same... can I just tell you, those tomatoes don't just look good, they taste it too! A rare thing these days, especially with supermarket tomatoes, which I just don't bother with!

El link
16/1/2013 01:10:21 pm

There's nothing like fresh tomatoes. Perfect for summer!

Lizzy
16/1/2013 01:18:25 pm

True, El. I will send some warmth your way! I hear it's snowing! ; D

Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella link
17/1/2013 09:59:30 am

Isn't it funny how you had to buy olive oil from a chemist! And now look at how much there is available! What sweet memories of your mum too Lizzy :D

Lizzy
17/1/2013 10:09:08 am

Things have certainly changed from when my parents first came to Australia in 1957, Lorraine. Thank you for your kind words ; D

Anna @ The Littlest Anchovy link
17/1/2013 11:47:34 am

What a beautiful story Lizzy! I am planning on a dinner of home-grown tomatoes on bruschetta this evening thanks to your beautiful pictures!

Lizzy
21/1/2013 11:06:27 am

Thank you Anna! You are very fortunate to have home grown tomatoes. Mine are very slow this year! Thank you for the kind words about the pics. That is the REAL colour of the tomatoes, no doctoring of the picture! See the basil and bread colour to prove it.

Tandy link
17/1/2013 04:17:32 pm

Those tomatoes look amazing! I use the olive oil in the early trick to this day, way cheaper than conventional ear drops. I'm hoping my tomatoes and basil have survived my trip away :)

Lizzy
21/1/2013 11:07:41 am

I haven't tried olive oil in my ears, to be honest. That was something my mum did. I never thought of it when my kids were little, but they had tonsillitis more than ear dramas. Best wishes that your tomatoes and basil survived ; )

e / dig in link
20/1/2013 03:43:29 pm

here in tas (or maybe just at my place) it seems the tomatoes are never ready at the same time as the basil! (or cucumber, or lettuce, or any other salady type thing). i do love a sandwich like that. that can be dinner for me, when the tomatoes are home-grown luscious.

Lizzy
21/1/2013 11:08:23 am

Oh, bother to that! Nothing wrong with a sandwich or bruschetta for dinner! I imagine we might be slimmer if we did this more often! ; )

Vanille link
16/2/2013 12:49:12 pm

Got a nice bunch of fresh basil at the farmer market this morning. The combination of tomato, basil and garlic is finóm indeed ! Best summer flavours !

Lizzy
16/2/2013 01:07:51 pm

Servusz! It is finom indeed! Thank you for visiting. xo


Comments are closed.

    Welcome...

    Üdvözölöm
    Photo of Liz Posmyk, Food Writer, Cook and Traveller

    ​Cooking and writing have been a lifelong passion.
    ​
    Join me as I share with you my favourite recipes; postcards and morsels from my travels; conversations with cookery writers
    and chefs; and news on food, cookbooks
    ​and cooking.
    ​
    - Liz Posmyk

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner


    All
    Anzac
    Apple Growers
    Australia
    Australian Producers
    Autumn
    Baking
    Beverages
    Biscuits
    Book Reviews
    Bread
    Breakfast
    Butter
    Cakes & Slices
    Canberra
    Charmaine Solomon
    Cheese
    Chestnuts
    Christmas
    Cocktails
    Coffee
    Conversations
    Cookies
    Cookware
    Cuisine Companion
    Curries
    Dairy Products
    Desserts
    Diet
    Dough
    Drink Blog
    Easter
    Edible Gifts
    Eggs
    Egg Safety
    Essays
    Events
    Favourite Flavours
    Fish
    Food News
    Food TV
    Food Verse
    Fruit
    Giveaways
    Good Things Favourites
    Growers & Producers
    Guest Post
    Health
    Hummus
    Hungarian Recipe
    Ice Cream
    In My Kitchen
    Kids In The Kitchen
    Kitchen Garden
    Markets
    Meat
    Muffins
    Musings
    My Book
    My Family
    New Year
    Noodles
    Nuts
    Observations
    Olives
    Pancakes
    Pasta
    Pastry
    Pepe Saya
    Pink Martini
    Pizza
    Polenta
    Postcards And Morsels
    Poultry
    Preserves
    Prize Giveaways
    Prunes
    Reminiscences
    Retro
    Reviews
    Rice
    Ricotta
    Salad
    Salads
    Sandwiches
    Sauce
    Seafood
    Slow Cooking
    Snacks
    Soups
    Stop Hunger Start Cooking
    Sydney
    Tefal
    Thanksgiving
    Thank You
    The Barber From Budapest
    Tofu
    Travel
    Truffles
    Tweatup510064f8ec
    Tzatziki
    Valentines Day
    Vegetables
    Vinnies Christmas Appeal


    NB: I use Australian standard measuring cups and spoons in my recipes. 

    Picture
    Winner ABC's 2015 Australia Cooks competition, ACT (mains category)
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Meet the Chefs - recipes featured on Australian Asparagus Council website

Good Things is written and published by Liz Posmyk © 2011-2020.   All rights reserved.
Excerpts may be used provided that full and clear credit is given. Thank you.


Photos used under Creative Commons from alantankenghoe, riptheskull, David Jackmanson, Amani Hasan, SuntanMidori, oropeza, Annie Mole, Vegan Feast Catering, avlxyz, jeffreyw, mockstar, jenly, Syeefa Jay, pizzodisevo (therapy - terapia - Therapie), ginnerobot, cliff1066™, Jim, the Photographer
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About
  • My book
  • Writing & Media
  • FAQs