A delicious summer appetizer or light lunch
INGREDIENTS:
8 Roma tomatoes
1 avocado
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil plus more to drizzle at serving time
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 baguette
1/4 cup of fresh basil
METHOD:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Slice baguette into 1/2 inch slices and place on a cookie sheet.
3. Peel and dice avocado.
4. Seed and dice tomatoes.
5. Cut basil into chiffonade.
6. Toast the baguette slices in oven for 7 to 8 minutes, just until crispy on the outside but still soft on the inside. Do not dry bread out completely.
7. Mix seeded diced tomatoes, diced avocado, basil, olive oil, pepper and rasped garlic ( this is preferable to mincing) into a medium sized bowl. Can be made ahead of time up to this point.
8. Just before serving, salt to taste.
9. Assemble mixture on warm toasted baguette slices and drizzle with olive oil.
TIPS:
1. Tomatoes should be at room temperature.
2. Do not salt tomatoes until serving time. Otherwise the salt will draw out the liquid from the tomatoes and the mixture will be mushy.
3. Do not over dry bread in oven.
