As has already been stated, I live for summer tomatoes. This is a simple but so dang satisfying summer appetizer/side/lunch/way to consume a whole loaf of bread by yourself when no one is watching.

Ingredients:

• Best loaf of crusty bread you can find.
• Best summer tomatoes you can find.
• Gruyere cheese.
• Dry basil
• Dry oregano
• Salt

Order of operations:

Turn on the broiler and slice bread roughly 1/4″ thick. I used cheesy garlic sourdough bread from the farmer’s market, but usually just any rustic/sourdough will do. The kitchen implement that makes this dish super easy is this handy-dandy oil mister.

If you don’t have one, get one. They cost like $10 and make so many things in the kitchen easier. If you don’t have one right this minute but really need to eat this food, just brush or drizzle a teeny bit of oil on one side of the bread. If you do have a mister, CONGRATULATIONS! Spray a fine mist of olive oil on one side of the bread and pat yourself on the back for having the right tool for the job.

Broil for 1-2 minutes or so, both sides of the bread (oiled and not oiled). You want the bread to get a little crispy but not too crispy, because you’ll be broiling it again when you add all the toppings. Note: I let mine get too crispy on the first broil. Don’t be like me.

Top each piece with a little grated gruyere, a slice of tomato, and sprinkle basil and oregano and salt on top. I did a couple with the gruyere under the tomato and a few with the gruyere on top of the tomato…..rationale: the gruyere on the bottom is more visually appealing to me, but the gruyere on top is arguably more delicious. You decide which you like better and do that. They’re both good.

Broil for another 1-2 minutes, till the cheese is burbly and the bread isn’t burned. Try not to burn your face as you proceed to scarf as many as possible as soon as you pull them outta the oven.