SPRING BRUSCHETTA [brus-ketta]

Bruschetta is an appetizer, iconic for central Italy's sun, countryside, and fresh market produce. Traditionally, olive oil growers would bring country bread with them when they press the olives around November and December. They brush the bread with oil and heat them by the fireplace. They then rub garlic on the bread and top it with finely minced onions. Not only do they save an otherwise stale bread, but make a sumptuous appetizer.

Here's a Sibol Test Kitchen recipe that captures all that in an organic way. Bon Appetite!

Preparation
Finely mince the garlic and chili. Combine with oil, vinegar, salt, honey and pepper. Leave to steep. Cut the tomatoes lengthwise, scoop the seeds and juice out and set aside. Strain the tomatoes to minimize the liquid. Cube the cheese into 1/4 inch size. Chop the basil but not too fine. Add the tomatoes, basil and cheese to the dressing. Blend well.

Serving
Halve the pandesal crosswise and toast it. Rub a clove of garlic into the bread surface, then layer a lettuce leaf over the bread. Put the tomato mix on the lettuce. Enjoy with wine!

--- Chef Char

Cooking Tips:

• use only the ripest tomatoes
• for garlic, use the native kind, not the bland Taiwan garlic
• for vinegar, best to use Sinamak vinegar
• get good quality pandesal. Pan de Pugon or Pan de Manila are good choices.
• bruschetta is best enjoyed with chilled dry white wine (not sweet)
• best cheese is mozzarella, but any grocery cheese will do
• best to prepare the dressing even a day in advance to amalgamate and intensify all the flavors