Bruschetta? Salsa? Always a tough decision when I come away from the farmers' market with fresh tomatoes, peppers and onions. Our family loves them both, and they are very similar in flavor. In some cases, the decision is based upon the availability of a great bread.
Whenever possible, I like to use a mix of tomatoes for both salsa and bruschetta. Not only will the variety of colors be appetizing, but each tomato will have a unique taste and texture which makes the end result more interesting.
After an "x" cut in one or both ends of the tomatoes, they are quickly parboiled and cooled to be able to remove the peels. The tomatoes are cleaned and diced along with the peppers, garlic and onion. (Use the peppers that grab your attention at the market and adjust for your own heat taste.) Olive oil and balsamic vinegar are added, as well as salt and pepper.
Slice your bread into appropriately-sized wedges. While baguettes make this an easy step, it's not difficult to cut other shapes; the last time I made bruschetta I used a sourdough loaf that woked wonderfully. Olive oil is added to one side of the bread wedges and toasted for several minutes in the oven. Serve on the warm toast or place the bread in a plastic bag after cooling if serving at a later time.
Our favorite recipe is adapted from the Simply Recipes web site. My version is available to download by clicking here.