Bruschetta with Prosciutto -- The Tomatoes Were Too Good to Cook

Twenty weeks. Halfway. I am visibly pregnant now and strangers at the grocery store have opinions about this. I do not mind the opinions much. They are well-meaning. A woman at the Winn-Dixie said she hoped I was eating enough. I said I was eating plenty. She said good. That was the complete conversation and it was fine.

Tyler has been talking to my belly. He does it when he thinks I am asleep. He tells her things about himself and about the shop and about what he hopes for her. I have been listening with my eyes closed. I am storing these things. He is building a relationship already. He is talking to her before she can hear him yet because he is the kind of man who does not wait to show up. He shows up early. He shows up before he is required to.

Sunday at Gloria was a summer cooking day. Tomatoes are back, the good ones, and I bought three pounds at the farm stand and we ate them standing over the sink with salt the way I have done every summer for years. Destiny ate a whole tomato like an apple and declared it the best thing about summer. Gloria said it was close but not the first thing. Destiny asked what was first. Gloria looked at her and said: you. Destiny looked away like she did not want anyone to see her face and then looked back with her chin up like she had decided to accept the compliment directly. Good. Accept compliments directly. Learn that young if you can.

Standing over the sink with salt and a good tomato is its own kind of recipe, but when we finally sat down at Gloria’s that Sunday I wanted to do just a little more with the rest of those three pounds — something that still let the tomatoes be the whole point. Bruschetta with prosciutto was exactly right: a little bread, a little garlic, some good olive oil, and thin salty prosciutto that somehow makes a perfect summer tomato taste even more like itself. Destiny ate four pieces and did not look away from anyone when she asked for more.

Bruschetta with Prosciutto

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 5 min | Total Time: 20 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 large baguette or Italian loaf, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds (about 18 slices)
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
• 1 1/2 pounds ripe summer tomatoes (about 3 medium), cored and diced
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 oz prosciutto, thinly sliced and torn into pieces
• 1 teaspoon balsamic glaze (optional, for finishing)

Instructions

1. Make the tomato topping. Combine the diced tomatoes, basil, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Toss gently and let sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes so the tomatoes release their juices.
2. Toast the bread. Heat a grill pan or broiler to medium-high. Brush both sides of each bread slice lightly with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Toast for 2–3 minutes per side until golden and slightly charred at the edges.
3. Rub with garlic. While the bread is still warm, rub the cut side of a garlic clove firmly across the top of each toasted slice. The rough surface of the bread will grate the garlic right in.
4. Assemble. Spoon the tomato mixture generously onto each slice, letting some of the juices soak into the bread. Lay a piece of torn prosciutto over each one.
5. Finish and serve. Drizzle with a little extra olive oil and a few drops of balsamic glaze if using. Season with additional flaky salt and serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 210 | Protein: 8g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 24g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 610mg