Mediterranean Crostini

(Let me first apologize for the layout and mess of this post. I dont know what was going on last night, but as I tried to uplad pics there was a problem. As was there in the layout. So sentences do not match up with pics, etc. Big Daddy started to work on it to fix it after midnight and I told him to forget it. To much trouble, I had been working on it for an hour or better already. My patience was shot. Thus....)



Ever get a "hankering" for something...but don't know what you want to eat? Walk into Whole Foods (or your local grocery), grab yourself a grocery cart and walk.... you will find endless possibilities to what you might crave...

Whole Foods has a vast assortment of vegetables, all market fresh and gorgeous!

Fresh seafood market

Fruity Olive Oils

And my favorite section...CHEESE, of course!

On a recent stroll through Whole Foods, I had just a craving for something unknown. I just began picking up what looked good and by the time I got to the other side of the store I checked those ingredients and realized what it was I wanted....Mediterranean Crostini!

Hankering some too?
In short, grab a bag of crostini (or sliced and toasted french bread)

Fresh tomatoes (chopped or sliced and I prefer mine roasted in the oven-it is up to you, make it your own!)

Fresh Mozzarella

Drizzle of Olive Oil

And fresh basil, julienned (from my backyard...it is in it's final stages of bloom..)

Stack and eat!

Here is a recipe that includes vinegar (love vinegar!) The tomato in the following recipe is not roasted. I prefer mine to be. Make your crostini your own....really, you cannot go wrong. And its soooo good!
Ingredients:
Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing, plus 1/4 cup
1 baguette, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick
slices
Salt and coarsely ground pepper, to taste
8 vine-ripened tomatoes, about 1 1/2 lb. total
1/2 cup slivered fresh basil leaves
2 Tbs. finely minced red onion
1/4 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbs. aged balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 lb. fresh mozzarella cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 350.
Brush a baking sheet with olive oil and arrange the baguette slices on the sheet in a single layer. Brush the tops with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until crisp and golden, 15 to 18 minutes. If not using immediately, let the crostini cool, then store in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to use.
Core, seed and dice the tomatoes. In a bowl, stir together the tomatoes, half of the basil, the onion, garlic, vinegar, the 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and pepper.
Slice the mozzarella into 1/4-inch-thick pieces or into smaller pieces so they fit on the crostini. To assemble, lay a piece of mozzarella on each crostini and spoon 1 to 2 Tbs. of the tomato salad on top. Garnish each with a pinch of the remaining basil. Serve immediately.