Bruschetta - Real Garlic Bread

Adapted from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan

For 6 slices of bread

The amount here is for six slices of bread, which will probably disappear as fast as you serve them. I usually use bread I make from Jim Lahey's groundbreaking recipe for No-Knead Bread.

Bruschetta
Adapted from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan

3 or 4 plump garlic cloves
6 slices good, thick-crusted bread, ½-inch thick
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt - For this recipe I use Maldon Sea Salt.
A few grindings of pepper

Cut the garlic cloves in half, crush them with your chef's knife, and peel them. Toast the bread to a golden brown. While the bread is still hot, rub one side of each slice with the cut side of a half clove of garlic. Drizzle olive oil over the garlicky side of each slice of bread, and - if you are using Maldon - crush it with your fingers over each piece, then add a few grindings of black pepper. Serve while still warm.

The Tomato Version

All the ingredients given in the recipe above plus 6 ripe tomatoes
8 basil leaves

Wash the tomatoes, split them in half lengthwise. Remove as many seeds as you can easily using a pointy spoon or the tip of a knife. Put the halves upside down on a paper towel to drain the most watery of the juices. Cut the tomatoes into ½-inch cubes.

Wash and dry the basil leaves, then cut them with your kitchen shears into small pieces or use you knife you make a chiffonade.

After rubbing the hot grilled bread with garlic as directed in the recipe above, put some of the diced tomatoes on top, sprinkle with basil, salt, and pepper. Drizzle a little olive oil over each piece.