Tomato and Basil Bruschetta

From Chez Pannise Vegetables by Alice Waters

(I could—and often do—eat this every day in the summer.)

Ingredients:
• Several large, colorful heirloom tomatoes
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Garlic cloves, peeled
• Crusty bread
• Fresh basil leaves
• Salt and pepper

1. Slice large, ripe tomatoes into thick slices and season well with salt and pepper. Fry thick slices of crusty country bread in a heavy skillet in 1/8 inch of olive oil until they are golden brown on both sides (or grill bread over a fire.) As the bread fries, you will need to add more olive oil to keep the pan from going dry. Remove the bread slices from the pan and drain them briefly on a towel. Rub the bread with garlic. Top each slice of bread with a thick tomato slice and a basil leaf, and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle a little extra-virgin olive oil over the tomatoes and serve.