Farmer's Markets, Tomatoes and That Summer Feeling

One of my favorite summer activities is the farmer’s market. Rows of vegetables, homemade pastries and products made with love by good people. Victoria may be blessed by many of these Saturday institutions but for the working stiff like me, I am very rarely blessed with a Saturday off. So I was super excited when I discovered a mid week market happening at Mayfair mall! As I currently work in the mall it was but a short walk on my break and there I was, wandering among the booths and escaping (even for just 15 minutes) from the busy city.

One of the things that always stands out for me at the markets and screams summer are tomatoes. I’ve attached my favorite fresh summer tomato recipe: Bruschetta. Use a recipe like this to try out all those funky tomatoes on display: the rippled heirloom, the green and yellow cherries or even the flavorful purple tomatoes I recently discovered at my market. Some recipes call for cooked or slow roasted tomatoes but I want to taste that lush, just from the vine flavor.

Fresh Tomato Bruschetta

Ingredients:
½ loaf of soft baguette, sliced (if I am looking for something more substantial than a snack I use sourdough)
2 cloves of garlic, sliced in half
Roughly 2 cups Tomato, diced (if using small cherry tomatoes just quarter dice them)
3 tablespoons fresh basil chiffonade (fancy word meaning cut into small strips)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Method:
- Lightly salt the diced tomato and place in a colander for a few minutes, this will concentrate the flavors and remove some of the water from the veg.
- Toast the baguette/loaf slices to a nice golden brown and when it is still warm rub down with the sliced edge of the garlic.
- In a bowl, combine tomatoes, basil, half the olive oil and a few cranks of pepper and let merry for a few minutes.
- Spread the tomato mix onto the bread and serve with a little drizzle of the olive oil and a nice glass of white wine on the patio : )