Tomato Mozzarella Basil Bread

There are few things better in the summer than tomatoes plucked straight from the vine. Warm, ripe, and bursting with flavor, it is the perfect time to dice a few up for burgers, salads, or just with a little salt, oil and herbs.

This quick and delicious bread is a tasty twist on a Margarita pizza using a loaf of good quality French bread and fresh ingredients, leaving you more time to soak up the summer nights. I will generally serve this as a light dinner with a cold glass of white wine but it could also be served as a tasty starter for a long, relaxing meal with your favorite people.

Tomato Basil Mozzarella Bread

Serves 3 as meal, 6-8 as appetizer | Prep time: 15 minutes | Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 loaf Basic French Bread or one loaf purchased French bread loaf
• 1 ball mozzarella cheese, sliced into thin strips
• 2-3 medium tomatoes (any variety besides cherry will work)
• 15-20 basil leaves, washed and roughly chopped
• Olive oil for brushing
• Pepper, to taste (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Slice french bread into 1 inch slices and brush each side of the bread slices with olive oil
3. Place bread on a baking sheet and toast in oven for 2-3 minutes. Remove from oven and flip over slices and toast in oven for an additional 2-3 minutes or until bread is warm and a little crusty.
4. Remove bread from oven and top with mozzarella and tomato
5. Repeat for each slice and drizzle the toasts with olive oil
6. Bake in oven for 6-8 minutes or until cheese begins to melt and bubble
7. Remove from oven and top each with a bit of fresh basil. Return to oven for 1-2 minutes more
8. Remove from oven and add a light sprinkle of pepper to each slice (if desired)
9. Enjoy hot from the oven with a crisp glass of something cold while enjoying a fine summer breeze!

Tip

• This recipe can be done for little money if you plan to have a small garden that includes tomato and basil. Both can be very easy to grow and produce large quantities that can be used in this recipe or many others. These are also quite adaptable if you have small space as they can both be grown in containers or pots. If a garden is not in your plans, I strongly recommend seeking out the best quality tomatoes and basil you can find. The fewer ingredients a recipe has, the better the ingredients should be. Visit your farmers market on a warm summer day to find the best of the best for fresh produce.
• After many years of making this amazing bread, I have discovered that adding the basil in the last 1-2 minutes of cook time preserves the flavor of the basil. Since basil is a deliate herb, long cooking times can negatively impact the flavor so just a quick heat is all this herb needs to shine on this bread.