Tomato Bruschetta Pizza

I know this title sounds a little like something you'd find at the TGI Fridays, but for lack of a better name, that's basically what it is. I must say that one good thing about a hot summer is the plethora of great big, juicy tomatoes. Another good thing is minimalist cooking. Although I do have a bit of an itch to really get in the kitchen and make something impressive, most of the time I'm just as happy to leave the ingredients (and my stove) well alone.

For this simple supper, I chopped up 3 small tomatoes and 1 large clove of garlic, combined them with 2 Tbsp chopped basil and 1 Tbsp olive oil, as you do for bruschetta and piled it on a baguette with some mozzerella cheese. A few minutes under the broiler for the cheese to melt and you have a yummy Bruschetta...Tartine?!? Hey, that doesn't sound half bad. Bruschetta Tartine, it is. Once the tartines came out of the oven, I topped them with some arugula tossed simply with some balsamic vinegar and just a touch of olive oil.
I love tartines, by the way. Tartine is the French, all-encompassing word for an open-faced sandwich. The sky is the limit when it comes to breads and toppings, of course. I enjoy this knife-and-fork type of sandwich; it looks pretty and it feels very delicate no matter how high you pile it. It can be made from very simple ingredients, but it takes long enough to eat that it feels like a very satisfying meal! However, this tartine thing never really works for Paul. He'll fold it over and eat it with his hands if at all possible. Maybe it's a guy thing. Either way, we both loved our simple dinner last night.