"Dice & Dump" Bruschetta

No real recipe on this one. It's easy to just dice and dump whatever I have that sounds good. I start with a can--or two--of diced tomatoes. Use fresh if you like. (Honestly, I'm NOT a big tomato fan and rarely buy them, especially when they're not really in season. But I like tomato juice, soup, sauce--spaghetti and etc. Go figure.)

"Dice and Dump" Bruschetta
The basics:
Sliced french bread*
1 or 2 cans diced tomatoes
diced/chopped onion
1 or 2 cloves crushed garlic
olive oil
balsamic vinegar


Dice & Dump options:
sliced mushrooms
diced peppers - green, red, yellow...
basil (or chives)
shredded cheese

Drain the tomatoes. Put tomatoes, chopped onion, garlic, peppers in a skillet with a little olive oil. You can add a bit of vinegar here, but I like to splash/sprinkle it on later - keeps the flavor a little more isolated from all the veggies.
Cook over medium heat just until veggies are all warm if you like them still crisp...longer if you like them softer. Cook off excess liquid, or drain if necessary. Add basil (fresh is always better, but I've used dried, or substituted chives) and cook just a minute or so
longer until flavor is infused and aromatic.

I like to toast the bread (french bread, sourdough, asiago cheese bread...) in a skillet with a little olive oil. But a toaster works fine too. :) Spoon tomato mixture onto bread slices. Sprinkle with cheese if desired. Toast under the broiler until cheese is melted and/or tomatoes are just beginning to roast a bit. After toasting is when I like to splash on a little balsamic vinegar, just before serving. Mmmmm.