Something from my mother finally!

I am surprised that nothing I have posted so far has come from my mother, but this recipe comes from her big spacious kitchen at home in Washington(oh how I miss that big spacious kitchen with all its counter space and cupboards!). This recipe is always a hit, we make it at least 3x a month just for us, and almost every time we have company also. If you don't want to use the baking method which is detailed below, you can serve it all cold, which is easier for parties where your oven is already busy. To do so, just cube the mozzarella and add it in with the tomato mixture and serve with bread/crackers. And whatever you do, do not leave out the balsamic vinegar, it is what makes it sooo delicious! This mixture is also great over salad or mixed with pasta, but you won't have any leftovers because it is that good, you will just have to whip up another batch!

Bruschetta with Double Tomatoes

INGREDIENTS:
6 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil (I rinse mine to cut down on calories)
3 cloves minced garlic
2 TB olive oil + some for brushing bread
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fresh basil, stems removed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 baguette/loaf of french bread/melba toast etc.
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, combine the roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, basil, salt, and pepper. Allow the mixture to sit for half an hour or longer. It helps all the flavors blend together.
Turn on broiler. (If your oven doesn't have a broil function, no worries mine doesn't either, just turn it to the highest temperature and watch closely!)
Cut your bread of choice into 3/4-inch slices. On a baking sheet, arrange the baguette slices in a single layer, brush with olive oil, and broil just until brown about 1-2 minutes.
Divide the tomato mixture evenly over the baguette slices. Top the slices with mozzarella cheese.
Broil for 3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.