It’s that amazing time of year again. The sun is shining. The air is warm. The farmers’ markets are overflowing with all things summer. The vegetables and fruits look brighter and taste better. We are mere slaves to the ingredients. The tomatoes and corn choose us.

Until this weekend I had never made bruschetta. Crazy, right? It has all the characteristics I look for in a recipe – simple, crowd pleasing, and fresh ingredient-centric. It dawned on me at the farmer’s market as I hovered over the tomatoes and spotted the fresh basil in my periphery. I needed to make bruschetta. And soon.

So, with that, this weekend I made bruschetta (with help from some guests / sous chefs). We cut up a combo of cherry, plum, and vine ripe tomatoes. We threw is some chopped basil, mashed garlic, salt, pepper, and just a little balsamic. We brushed bread with olive oil, grilled the bread, piled on the tomatoes, and served. It was delicious.

Next time I’ll increase my tomato-to-bread ratio and maybe throw in some yellow tomatoes for aesthetics. The bread is personal. I happen to like a denser sourdough, especially because it holds up so well on the grill. But you can opt for a sliced baguette if you want it to be more bite-sized, or Italian if you want it to be airier. And while the grill is our go-to kitchen appliance during the summer, the bread can certainly be toasted in a regular oven or toaster.

I will make bruschetta again. And soon. So should you.