Get the recipe: Tomato-Basil Crostini...

Oh Summer, leaving so soon?  

Seems like you just arrived. But I blink and it's already put-away-those-flip-flops, back-to-school and time-to-get-serious.

Well, not quite.  The calendar assures me we still have more than 3 weeks to revel in your abundance.  The sun is beaming beautifully, the crickets still sing steadily through the night and even as I write, children splash in the water and run barefoot through green grass. Tomatoes are at their glorious height and basil couldn't be more plentiful.

So for now, I'm soaking up every departing drop of you, Summer.  

One of the recipes I created for our Slice, Dice & Chop knife skills class this summer was Tomato-Basil Crostini.  This dish evokes the spirit of summer in so many ways. Juicy, ripe tomatoes are lightly bathed in garlicky balsamic vinegar and olive oil, then piled atop a basil leaf resting on toasted French bread, which has been brushed with more olive oil and rubbed with a garlic clove. And then, just to be sure you're paying attention, we adorn the whole thing with shaved Parmeggiano-Reggiano.  

It's only a few ingredients, but this classic combination won't let you forget what season it still is.  No matter how many school supplies you've already bought. 

Here's to thoroughly enjoying every last lazy day!

Get the recipe: Tomato-Basil Crostini