There's one reason I garden. Well, I should say, there's a reason above many others why I garden. And the reason lay right here:

Sweet morsels of angel deliciousness. How I look forward to you each year – succulent, sweet, juicy, bright. The flavor of summer. The juicy fruit of the Gods.

Once tomato season hits, you'll be hard pressed to find me cooking anything besides caprese salads and this delicious bruschetta recipe. Because… frankly… why try and beat perfect? There's no point. This is, quite literally, the best bruschetta recipe in the history of the entire world.

You don't even have to take my word for it. Make it. Taste it. Die.

The Best Bruschetta Recipe

You will need:

– 2 pounds fresh, garden tomatoes (the better the tomato the better the bruschetta… source some good ones!)

– 6 tablespoons olive oil (I buy mine every year in bulk from Chaffin Family Orchards)

– Sea salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

– 1/2 cup freshly chopped basil

– Sweet balsamic vinegar (here's the only brand I buy in bulk!)

– 1 clove garlic, peeled

– Fresh, crusty bread (I use Eat, Drink, & Be Merry Bread – recipe from From Scratch!)

1. Using a bread knife, gently chop the tomatoes into small pieces. I like to slice them all one way… and then gently slice them the opposite way so I end up with pretty squares. The point is not to obliterate the tomato into a mushy mess, but rather to keep the integrity of the tomato intact. It should, after chopping, still resemble a tomato. Hence the bread knife – it really helps to not just squish the tomato. Place the tomato pieces into a large bowl.

2. Drizzle the tomatoes with the olive oil.

3. Give the tomatoes a small pinch of sea salt and a few good grindings of fresh black pepper. How much salt you need with vary based on your tomato variety, so don't overdo it! Start slow.

4. Add in that delicious basil… mmm…. smelling like summer, isn't it?! Stir to combine.

5. Meanwhile, place some thick bread slices under the broiler for a few minutes or into the toaster. Some people serve their bruschetta with soft bread. I am not one of those people. I think the soft tomatoes pair much better with a crunchy bread. It adds wonderful texture to the dish. So broil the bread, I say! Once the bread is nice and toasted, rub it geeeently with the garlic clove. This adds a nice hint of garlic to the dish without it being a punch of garlic in the face.

The flavor of garlic is gravely missed in this dish if you skip this step. So don't do that! Just gently rub the toasted bread with the garlic clove. Just do it I say!

6. Place the toasted garlic bread on a dish. Drizzle the bread with that oh-so-delicious-high-quality balsamic vinegar we've been talking about. (Note: this is my all time favorite balsamic vinegar! I buy it in bulk and use it straight as salad dressing and for a million other things. It's fantastic!).

7. Lastly, scoop a big ‘ol pile of bruschetta onto the toast… like so:

Oh dear. Oh dear, dear, dear.

If you want to add a bit more to the dish, lay a nice piece of homemade mozzarella onto the bread before the tomatoes. It simply doesn't get any better than these basic and classic flavors coming together in the most delicious way possible.

Happy bruschetta eating, my friends! I hope you enjoy!

For other great meal ideas, no matter what your dietary restrictions, check out the meal planning service I use: Real Plans.

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