New Jersey
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2 - 3 large Jersey Fresh beefsteak tomatoes 

or 5 - 6 Jersey Fresh plum tomatoes, finely diced 

2 Jersey Fresh cloves of garlic, minced or finely chopped

1 tsp Jersey Fresh oregano, chopped, or ½ tsp dried

2 TBS Jersey Fresh basil, chiffonaded**

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

For crostini: 

1 loaf black olive Italian bread or a French baguette, sliced in ½-inch slices

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt & pepper to taste 

For the crostini, brush each slice of bread with the olive oil. Salt & pepper each side. Place on parchment or aluminum foil on cookie sheet or sheet pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 8 - 10 minutes or until brown on bottom. Turn and continue until both sides are lightly browned and center of bread spring back when touched – do not over bake. Let cool until you can handle them. As an alternative you can prepare bread in same manner and grill on barbecue until lightly browned and top springs back.

Mix the tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and basil in a non-reactive bowl. Add in the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until all ingredients are blended. Mound some tomato mixture on each crostini. Serve immediately. Serves 4 -6.

** To chiffonade basil: Stack 2 - 3 individual leaves of similar sizes. Roll them together from pint to stem so you have a little tube. Slice the tube as if it were a loaf of bread; you will get long strands of basil. Repeat as needed. 

Tags:  fresh olive bread until jersey pepper basil taste crostini tomatoes