I wasn’t really sure how our last dish was going to come together for our Shark Week party. But I had a package of beautifully colored, ripe heirloom tomatoes that were begging to be used, so I turned to my favorite fresh and tangy bruschetta recipe, added a mozzarella shark fin and voila – Shark Week worthy finger food!

This bruschetta is sooo good, I’ll often whip it up for the boyfriend and I for dinner and we’ll devour it crouched over the coffee table while catching up on the DVR – no meat or main dish necessary (glasses of wine also not necessary, but highly recommended *wink*). The juicy blend of ripe tomatoes, slightly spicy garlic, fragrant basil, olive oil and tangy balsamic vinegar soaks perfectly into the toasted bread that’s crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Mmm such a satisfying combo! It’s a great appetizer for any time, and an especially great compliment to the rest of our savory, salty and sugary Shark Week spread.

To assemble these: Follow the recipe below for the tomato bruschetta. Since I had perfectly ripe heirlooms on hand I used them and they made a perfect looking fish guts “chum”, but you can use any of your favorite tomatoes for this recipe (plum, Roma, even cherry) and it’ll still be as chummy and tasty. Then, top off with wedges of firm mozzarella for shark fins. Some goldfish sprinkled on top really sell the whole chum-in-the-water theme.

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Shark Fin Bruschetta

By Jenni

July 12, 2017

This recipe makes about 2 cups of fresh bruschetta. Double or triple this recipe according to your group size!

• Prep Time: 20m
• Cook Time: 5m
• Total Time: 25m

Ingredients

• 2 c ripe tomatoes, seeded & chopped
• 1/4 c finely chopped onion
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 10 leaves fresh basil, thinly sliced
• kosher salt & freshly ground pepper
• 1 french baguette
• fresh mozzarella cheese slices (cut into quarters)
• handful of Goldfish Crackers (for garnish)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450° for toasting your baguette later.
2. Add your prepared tomatoes, garlic, onion and basil to a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with a few pinches of kosher salt and black pepper, drizzle generously with olive oil and lightly with balsamic vinegar. Toss all ingredients together and taste - then add more olive oil, balsamic, salt and/or pepper to your preferred taste and tanginess. Set aside.
3. Slice the baguette on the diagonal into 1/2" thick slices. Brush both sides of each slice of bread with olive oil and bake on a cookie sheet on the top rack of the preheated oven for 5 minutes, or until the bread gets lightly browned and toasted.
4. To create your "shark scene" place a slice of mozzarella cheese standing up on a piece of bread with the pointy side up (like a shark fin!). Surround with fresh bruschetta and garnish with a few Goldfish Crackers for effect!
5. If not serving your bruschetta right away, you can serve the toasted bread alongside the bowl of tomato mixture, allowing guests to spoon their own and enjoy immediately so the bread doesn't get soggy. Mangia!

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