Tomato bruschetta à la Thyme

I’ve got to dash, so I won’t bore you. Bruschetta is a sort of Italian version of our Polish homemade baguette toast, a zapiekanka. I toast some wheat bread (olive oil and garlic instead of butter), then put whatever takes my fancy on top, which usually means tomatoes.

But what really makes it is fresh thyme. No, Thyme. I’m giving Thyme a capital letter. He’s practically family since this spring, when I planted a little Thyme bush in the garden. That’s how I was able to nip out today to pick fresh Thyme leaves. Other people have basil with tomatoes, but I prefer Thyme.

Actually, if you have a spot (outside your block of flats, on a little patch of green or in a pot, as long as the dogs don’t water it), I recommend planting Thyme and rosemary. They grow beautifully, look good in the garden and are indispensable in the kitchen.

At a glance:

Prep time: 5 minutes

Serves: 1

How many calories: I don’t count calories at breakfast

Ingredients for bruschetta:

• Yesterday’s baguette (just three rounds, 1 cm thick each)
• Half a medium-sized raspberry tomato
• One slice of lean Italian ham (at my butcher’s it’s simply called “Italian ham”)
• Fresh thyme
• Salt
• Pepper (to taste. If you don’t like it, suit yourself)
• A small clove of garlic
• A small teaspoon of olive oil

Method (the intercity express):

I get up in the morning (somehow I’m running late today) and do two things before heading into the bathroom (ladies reading this, I recommend doing only one of them, no point wasting electricity). I put the kettle on and preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Off I go to wash.

(By the time I’ve brushed my teeth, the kettle’s boiled and I make tea. It’s not part of the recipe, I’m just telling you so you don’t think I put the kettle on and forgot all about it 😉

Once I’m washed, the oven is nearly up to temperature, so I quickly cut three rounds from yesterday’s baguette, each about 1 cm thick. I peel a small garlic clove, crush it and chop it into little bits (I’m not into pressing things, clothes or garlic). I drizzle the baguette rounds evenly with oil and put the garlic on top. Onto a piece of foil and straight into the oven.

Time for the tomato. I wash it, halve it, dice my half finely and put it in a little bowl (importantly, I leave the skin on). I run out to the garden for Thyme (I picked about 5 sprigs). Under the tap, onto kitchen paper and it’s dry. I gently strip the tiny leaves off the sprigs straight onto the tomato. Salt and pepper to taste and literally two drops of olive oil. I give it a stir.

By now our baguette should have turned into bruschetta. Out it comes, on goes a slice of Italian ham, then a spoonful of our tomato on top. Voilà. Great flavour and a garlic aroma guaranteed to last at least until lunch. Enjoy!