SUMMER'S BEST GIFTS; Home grown tomatoes, basil and garlic.

SUMMER'S BEST GIFTS......home grown tomatoes and newly harvested garlic.

From my garden

Team these up with extra virgin olive oil, a little fresh basil and crusty grilled bread and you have a meal or a hardy appetizer. I could eat this every day; as long as the tomatoes hold out.
BRUSCHETTA~The original "garlic bread".

•   Thick sliced peasant or sourdough bread.
•   fresh whole peeled garlic
•   thick sliced tomatoes
•   extra virgin olive oil
•   thin sliced basil     
•   salt and pepper
•  (crumbled feta cheese is optional but we love it)

California "early" garlic

Fire up the grill. Prepare and have ready the other items. Toast bread on both sides. Rub the garlic into the bread, drizzle generously with the olive oil, top with tomato slices, salt and pepper to taste, garnish with the basil (and feta) and indulge in a culinary slice of heaven.  Or, as we often do; over indulge!

DIED AND GONE TO MONTECELLI ~  Now that we have that great crusty bread, toasted or untoasted, here's another simple but fabulous way to use that fresh garlic.

• 1/2 C extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 C balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh basil
• 1 tsp-1 Tbs red chili flakes (depending on how much heat you like)
• 6 cloves of fresh chopped garlic.

Mix all ingredients in a ceramic bowl and let stand for 10 mins.
Serve in a shallow bowl and dip away.  You'll think you've died and........................

We now have fresh, out of the field, garlic!                               www.garlicfestival.com