Easy Bruschetta

I adore the flavor of tomatoes and basil SO much - we had a few extra tomatoes getting soft and I was able to get ahold of some beautiful fresh basil, so I knew bruschetta was on the horizon soon! This was a lovely, easy recipe that I whipped up in no time. That garlic infused oil made a great impact on the flavor. I could have just eaten spoonfuls of this straight from the bowl. The lightly garlicky bites of crunchy baguette made a terrific base for this fresh and tasty treat!

Easy Bruschetta adapted from Cooking Classy

Ingredients
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 TBS minced garlic (jarred)
4 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (shredded preferred if you have it)
1 TBS balsamic vinegar, or more to taste
3/4 tsp kosher salt, more to taste
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped basil ribbons (chiffonade)
1 french bread loaf, sliced into 1/2" thick slices

Directions

1. Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium to medium-high heat. Saute the garlic for about 5 minutes in the hot oil, to infuse flavor. When garlic starts getting some color on it, remove from heat and allow mixture to cool.
2. Use a pastry brush to dab a little bit of the garlic infused oil on both sides of the baguette pieces and line them up on a baking sheet.
3. Heat oven to broil.
4. Broil the baguette pieces for about a minute, then flip over and broil on the other side for another minute to create lightly toasted slices.
5. Toss the tomatoes, parmesan, balsamic, salt, pepper, and basil ribbons together in a medium bowl.
6. Mix in all remaining cooled garlic oil into the tomato mixture and toss gently to combine well. Taste, and adjust the seasonings as needed.
7. Serve the bruschetta atop the toasted baguette bites. Sprinkle with a touch more parmesan if desired.
8. Use bruschetta within 2-3 days tops - you may need to drain off excess liquid to help keep it from breaking down too much.