Mikey's Bruschetthai

For the September potluck, I wanted to make something that was light and refreshing, but I didn't want to phone it in with just some boring salad. Also, I was strapped for time, so I needed something quick and easy to assemble. Thus, the Thai Bruschetta was born.

Thai Bruschetta Recipe 

You'll need:

• One baguette, thinly sliced
• 4 ripe tomatoes
• 10 sprigs fresh cilantro
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Sriracha chili sauce (no substitutions!)
• fresh-ground black or white pepper
• salt
• lime juice

First, combine the olive oil and Sriracha sauce in a bowl. It's rather difficult to get the two to combine, but enough rigorous stirring should do the job. With a spoon (or ideally a brush), liberally apply the sauce mixture to the tops of the baguette slices. The bread should absorb most of the sauce, which will give it a spicy kick. In a toaster oven, heat the slices (sauce-side up) until lightly golden brown and crispy. On to the toppings! After removing the seeds and extra juice from the core, finely chop the tomatoes. Next, discard all the stems from the cilantro, and chiffonade the leaves, making little green ribbons that look rather awesome. Combine the tomatoes and cilantro, and squeeze a small amount of lime juice onto them. A pinch of salt will bring out the flavor of the tomatoes. Apply the topping to the toast slices, and finish with a couple grinds from the pepper mill. You can serve at room temperature, or wait to toast the bread just before serving. Present the bruschet-thai on a neat-looking plate. Enjoy!

Photo by Claire Harris