Traditional bruschetta from the hills of Tuscany in Italy involves toasting pieces of bread over a wood fire, then rubbing them with whole pieces of garlic, drizzling with extra virgin olive oil and seasoning with salt and pepper. Here's a version that includes a delicious chopped tomato topping.
2 - 3 good sized tomatoes, sliced into thick slices
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 loaf French bread, cut in half, then each piece sliced in half lengthwise
Extra virgin olive oil
Garlic salt
Arrange tomato slices on baking sheet. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and Parmesan. Sprinkle on tops of tomato slices. Put right under the broiler until the sugar melts and brown a little. (You don't want the tomatoes mushy). Remove from oven and let cool a little.
Place bread cut-side up on another baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt. Broil just until lightly browned but bread is still soft.
Remove tomatoes to a cutting board, coarsely chop and sprinkle on top of the toasted bread. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
Notes: The beauty of this recipe is that if you slice it into 1" pieces, it's an hors d'oeuvre (just don't make it ahead of time, it's best served fresh); or I like a couple of big pieces of it alongside a small, but expensive steak. With a glass of Chianti.