Cooking 101- Bruschetta

Well, this "back to school" time of year is a perfect moment to start what will be a regular, recurring feature here at Croissants and Alphonsoes, and that is the basic, essential recipe for those just starting out in the kitchen, or those intimidated by lengthy recipes and lengthier lists of ingredients. Cooking 101 will hopefully teach you some simple recipes you can try and add to your repertoire, while still being interesting to advanced chefs.
This is a recipe that is adapted from Bonnie Stern's Heartsmart Cooking For Family and Friends. I've simplified some of the steps, and I encourage you to take liberties with the recipe. For example, after making the dish once, I would just grab a handful of basil and estimate 2 tablespoons. And of course salt and pepper can just be added to taste. I've also experimented with cutting the baguette lengthwise into longer pieces, to make a more filling appetizer.
The roasting of the garlic and tomatoes brings a very full and rich flavour to the dish. It may seem like a heck of a lot of garlic, but by roasting it the flavour mellows, and the garlic almost becomes sweet. This dish would be great for drinks with friends; add a few store bought dips, some olives, breadsticks and a bottle of wine or two, and you have a nice little spread!

Recipe (makes 20 pieces)
Roasted Tomato Topping
8 plum tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
1 T olive oil
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
2 heads garlic
2 T fresh basil
2 T balsamic vinegar
Grilled bread
20 slices French baguette, about 1/2 inch thick
1 t olive oil

• Preheat oven at a temperature of 400F. Place tomato wedges, cut side up, on baking sheet lined with parchment paper (so the tomatoes don't stick). Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Cut top quarter off the garlic heads. Wrap heads in foil.
• Roast tomatoes and garlic in oven until tomatoes are slightly browned on the bottom and the garlic is squeezable. In my oven, this took 35 minutes; times may vary oven to oven. Remove and let cool.
• Chop tomatoes roughly and place in a mixing bowl. Squeeze garlic from heads and chop; add to bowl. Add chopped basil and vinegar. Mix well. Add more salt and pepper if necessary. Remove some water from topping if too liquidy.
  
• Arrange bread slices on baking sheet. Brush with olive oil. Turn up heat in oven to broil, and broil bread for one minute watching them carefully. They burn easily. Remove from oven.
• Add topping to bread pieces and serve.