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Basic Bruschetta
(Bruschetta di Morea)

This is one of my favorites.... Bruschetta (pronounced "broosketta") is essentially toasted bread with toppings, but becomes a uniquely Italian appetizer when properly prepared. In each region of Italy you will find different ingredients for the toppings, but the basics are used here.
Bruschetta is the dish that brings to life the differences of fine olive oil, so try it with several different brands to find the one you prefer. In Toscana, a more refined version becomes Crostini, the little toasts with toppings of chopped liver and such.
Essential ingredients:
Good Italian bread -- Sweet or fruity extra virgin olive oil -- the olive oil really makes a difference in this recipe, so if you don't have good oil, don't bother.
Ripe, fresh tomatoes -- Flavorful tomatoes are the topping, so look for nice red Roma type or the common round tomatoes. Homegrown of any type will do. Meaty tomatoes are best, but don't use the giant beefsteak type. If you don't have good tomatoes because you will be disappointed. HA!
Garlic -- of course. Cut several cloves in half just before using.
Chop the tomatoes into small pieces, but do not mince and do not leave large slices. Place in a medium bowl. The pieces should be of a size that you can spoon onto the bread, about 1/4 inch.
Add a bit of oil and mix with the tomatoes. The amount of oil to add is that which will make the juice slightly yellow in color. A little salt and pepper can be added as you like. Add the secret ingredient now if you know what it is.
Grill the bread on an outdoor grill until both sides are slightly toasted. Some people like to drizzle oil onto the bread before grilling to give it a little more golden color. Your choice...
As you take the bread off the grill, rub with cut cloves of garlic on one side so that the flavor goes into the bread, but don't overdo it if you have to kiss somebody you don't know later.
If the slices of bread are large, you may choose to cut them in half, but otherwise, spoon the tomatoes over the slices and serve, or let the guests do their own spooning.
Note: If you don't have an outdoor grill, use the toaster or oven. The fresher the ingredients and the better the oil, the happier you will be with the result.