This recipe is my farewell to the summer—cherry tomatoes are usually the only fruits small enough to still ripen when the sun starts to wane and the cool nights of autumn re-introduce themselves into the garden. They’re the last breath of summer’s harvest. To extract every ounce of sweet tannic flavor from each juicy little flavor bomb, I recommend slow-roasting them. This keeps the bottom of the tomato from charring and blackening (as will often happen if you roast for a short amount of time at a high temperature), and helps preserve the delicate bright flavors of juicy summer tomatoes.
Once you’ve roasted them, you’ve got some options. You can throw some in a container in the refrigerator, where they’ll keep for a few weeks, or you can freeze them on a baking sheet, and then pick the frozen ones off and place them in a plastic bag in the freezer, to make for easier storage and more customizable portion sizes (since you can easily grab a couple of them rather than having to thaw an entire jar to use at once). And you can set some freshly roasted ones aside to use for a delicious and simple garlic shrimp bruschetta.
If you’re unfamiliar with bruschetta, it’s an Italian dish that consists of toasted slices of bread, rubbed with raw garlic, and topped with olive oil, salt, fresh tomato, and basil. You can add other goodness to it, too, but these toppings are the mainstays. For this recipe, I top my bruschetta with the slow roasted cherry tomatoes and some shrimp sautéed with a generous amount of garlic. And there’s fresh basil, salt, and olive oil in the mix as well, of course. This makes for a delicious and simple meal that’s as nourishing for the body as it is for the spirit, whether it’s enjoyed as a lunch, an appetizer amongst a group of friends, or a dinner between a couple. It’s my favorite way to use up those last juicy little summer gems, and goes very well with a glass of red wine and good company. Enjoy, my friends 🙂
Garlic Shrimp Bruschetta
Ingredients
Slow Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
- 1 lb 2 ounces cherry tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Garlic Basil Shrimp Bruschetta
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 baguette cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 2 cloves of garlic cut in half
- 1/4 cup small whole basil leaves
- 3 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
Slow Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the tomatoes in half and place on lipped baking sheet, cut side facing up. Lightly brush the cut sides with the olive oil, and then sprinkle them with the salt and pepper.
- Place the pan in the oven and roast until the tomatoes have shrunk considerably, are nice and wrinkly around the edges, but still have a touch of juicy shine to the centers, about 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes depending on the size, shape, and juiciness of your cherry tomatoes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
Garlic Basil Shrimp Bruschetta
Mix together the minced garlic, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, chopped basil, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Allow the mixture to infuse for 15 minutes. In a large bowl, toss the shrimp with the garlic mixture and allow to infuse in the refrigerator for another 15 minutes.
- While they're infusing, lightly brush the baguette slices with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large frying pan, and toast the slices until golden, working in batches as needed. Set the slices aside.
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the shrimp mixture and sauté until the shrimp are pink and cooked through. Remove from heat, add the lemon juice, and stir to coat the shrimp.
Assembly
Rub the toasted baguette slices with the cut half of the raw garlic, then evenly distribute the shrimp, roasted cherry tomatoes, small basil leaves, and parmesan cheese. Serve immediately. Makes about 16 bruschetta.
oh my goodness! this looks like the nicest recipe i’ve seen in a long time. lovely!
Thank you so much Angela!