2 to 3 tablespoons of a really good extra virgin olive oil (add more if you need to)
3 large garlic cloves (add more if you're a garlic lover)
5 to 6 tomatoes on the vine
7 to 9 basil leaves, sliced horizontally into long pieces (add more depending on your preference)
Pinch of salt
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Slice bread on the diagonal. Spread the slices on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 350° F for 10 to 15 minutes. This will get the bread a little crunchy. If you're willing to stand by the oven for a few minutes and you want bread that's really crunchy, set the oven on broil and broil for 2 - 3 minutes on one side. Turn the slices over and broil for another 1 to 2 minutes until both sides are a golden brown and crunchy. Please, don't leave the oven if you use the broiling method because you could very quickly burn your bread. Not surprisingly, I've done that before.
In a medium bowl, combine chopped tomatoes, chopped garlic and basil. Drizzle olive oil over mixture and toss. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. I'm pretty generous with the black pepper.
Taste the tomato topping to see if it suites your taste, adjust salt, pepper, basil, or garlic if necessary. I tend to keep the olive oil light but if you like a richer olive oil flavor, by all means add more of it!
Serve tomato mixture in a bowl alongside the bread. Allow guests to assemble their bruschetta so that their bread stays crunchy.
Recipe by Bebe Love Okazu at https://bebeloveokazu.com/2011/07/12/bruschetta-with-tomatoes-basil-and-garlic/