Tomato Bruschetta: I'm Obssessed!

As most food lovers can attest to, the movie Julie & Julia will make your mouth water. One of the scenes that I remember most is the one where Julie is eating tomato bruschetta with her husband. The simplicity, the colors, the crunch. Yum!

I decided that it was high time I discovered the secret behind it. Now, I realize that movie magic makes things look better than they are, but I was determined to see if the makers of the movie had given away the secret of how this delicious bruschetta was born. Luckily, they did. In an article for The Atlantic, the culinary consultant and food stylist for the movie spilled the beans here.

I've done this twice now, and I'm hooked. During the hot months, quick and light recipes are always on my radar, and this is a great one. No need for a side dish. Just simple fresh tomatoes on bread. What could be better?

My Recipe Notes:

• Pugliese Bread or a Rustic Loaf work quite well. We decided that we would use Pugliese in the future just because it is a bigger loaf and can hold more tomatoes. French bread did not work well. Make sure you go early to your grocery store to get the best loaf possible. If you go after 5 pm where we live, it's always slim pickings.
• I tried toasting the bread in the oven like the article says, and also frying the bread slices in olive oil as the article also mentions was done in the movie. Frying the bread is the clear winner in my book. I pulled out my trusty cast iron skillet, poured in some olive oil and went to town. Delish!
• I kept to the recipe photo and used red, yellow, and orange tomatoes on the vine. That's just for the pretty factor!
• I have Maldon sea salt as is recommended, but I will also try my fleur de sel in the future because, as I've said before, I love that salt!
• Try this even if you don't like tomatoes! I have a weird thing about tomatoes. I like them warm, but usually can't stand them cold. I hate them on burgers, sandwiches, and salads, but love them in stews, pasta sauces, etc. I was worried about this recipe because the tomatoes essentially go on raw, but the heat of the bread actually warms them up just enough for me. Try it and you might be surprised!
  

And here it is in all its glory!