Well all right, yes, it is just bruschetta. But I’m usually disappointed in most bruschetta I try. The tomatoes are too wet or the bread is soggy or the garlic is too assertive or there is too much basil or not enough salt. So this has become my go-to hors d’ouevre this summer. If you come to my house for drinks and snacks, act surprised. 
VH Bruschetta
1 skinny baguette
softened butter
3 or 4 medium tomatoes (doesn’t matter what kind, just that they are nice and ripe)
3 or 4 medium leaves of basil
garlic powder, salt, pepper
Preheat the broiler. Slice the bread into 1/2″ thick slices. Very lightly butter the bread, being sure to get the entire sliced surface covered with a skim coating of butter, on both sides. Place buttered slices on baking sheet. Broil bread, watching very carefully, until toasted. Remove baking sheet from oven, flip pieces over, return to oven and broil the other side until toasted as well. Let slices cool. Toasts (or excuse me–crostini) can be made a day or two ahead, if you let them cool completely then store them airtight. Deglop and quite finely chop the tomatoes and place in a bowl. Stack the basil leaves, then roll them up lengthwise so you kind of have a basil cigar. Very finely slice the leaves crosswise, into a chiffonade. You can chop them up even more finely if you want. Add the basil to the tomatoes. Lightly sprinkle the tomatoes with garlic powder. Add about 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. black pepper (no, it doesn’t have to be sea salt or freshly ground–whatever you have on hand is fine!) and gently fold everything together. Get a spoon and taste the concoction. Enough basil? salt? garlic powder? pepper? When you’re happy with your product, spoon it into a serving bowl and serve with the sliced baguette. And by the way, I’m very pleased with my bread serving vehicle–it’s an old enamel tray for developing photographs!
The Vacaville Housewife 