Bruschetta with Salsa Verde Italiano

Bruschetta with Salsa Verde Italiano
(“brooskayta”)

  Bruschetta, mostly found in the Tuscan region, is considered to be a more casual and hearty fare than its more refined cousin, crostini.  Bruschetta makes a crusty base for moist toppings such as fresh tomato salsa, pesto, roasted peppers, grilled mushrooms, or of course, my Salsa Verde Italiano.

Brush both sides of medium thick slices of a hearty artisan type bread* with olive oil, leave dry or rub with a cut clove of garlic. (I like a thickness of about ½”-¾” for a not too thick, not too thin result) Grill on a medium high grill, watching carefully and turning once or twice for nice grill marks.  Alternately, you may bake on a sheet pan in a 475° oven, turning once, until crispy and brown.  A stove top grill pan also works well.  Typically Italians don’t brush their Bruschetta with olive oil before grilling. This is a somewhat Americanized version that I really love. Historically the habit of grilling bread began as a way to be able to use up leftover or day old bread in the typical clever and frugal countryside cooking style.
*I particularly like ciabatta, como, campagne and pagnotta.
Here’s the link for Salsa Verde Italiano