Easy Summer Cooking

By: Naomi Ross

By this point in the summer, I have completely surrendered to my kitchen lethargy. The slow pace of summer coupled with the heat gets to the best of us! It seems to have all but crushed my desire to stand by a stove. Knowing that we have just a few more weeks to enjoy the season leads me to easy seasonal favorites that don’t ask that much of a cook on vacation. Fresh farm tomatoes are fragrant and can be incredibly sweet like fruit; ripe and in season, they require so little embellishment to bring out their best. Salt. Some fresh herbs. Good olive oil. Simple ingredients that accentuate their natural goodness. Those are the basics of essential summer cooking (…or rather summer “assembly”).

Make this staple for a quick appetizer or as part of light lunch or grilled dinner. Then get yourself outside and take a walk while you still can!

Tomato Bruschetta

Garlicky toasts are the perfect bed for this chopped tomato salad. Bruschetta is served the day it is made.

Serves 6

Cook’s Note: A good bruschetta greatly depends on the tomatoes used. Ripe summer tomatoes may require a different amount of seasoning than out-of-season tomatoes. Taste and season accordingly!

Ingredients:

1 Italian bread, sliced 1/2-inch thick (on the bias)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more as needed

2 garlic cloves, halved

1 1/2–2 pounds vine-ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced 

1/2 small red onion, minced 

1/4 cup chopped basil leaves

2–3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Kosher salt or sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Toasts: Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees. Arrange sliced bread on a baking sheet in a single layer. Brush with 1–2 tablespoons oil. Toast in the oven until golden brown, about 8–10 minutes.

2. Prepare tomato topping: Combine the tomatoes, onion, remaining 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, basil leaves, and vinegar in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Toss to blend; set aside.

3. Serve: Rub toast with garlic halves; sprinkle with salt. Top with tomatoes right before serving.

Variation: For a refreshing summer bruschetta, add a ripe diced peach. 

Naomi Ross is a cooking instructor and food writer based in Woodmere, NY. She teaches classes throughout the country and writes articles connecting good cooking and Jewish inspiration. Her first cookbook, The Giving Table, was released in 2023. Follow her at @naomirosscooks on Instagram/FB or visit her website: naomirosscooks.com.