Crostini rossi alia Chinaligiana (Chianti-style red crostini)

25 minutes ■ Serves 6 ■ EASY
There are seemingly countless recipes for Tuscan crostini, which - although fairly similar - vary according to the cook's taste Some use pane casareccio - plain rustic bread - others prefer typical unsalted Tuscan bread baguettes. Some leave the bread plain, others toast it fry it in oil or soak it in stock. With the latter, the rule is that if the bread is toasted, the stock must be hot, and vice versa. In both cases, the slice should be dampened only on the spreading side. Other variations concern the addition of aromatic herbs to the tomato mixture, but this is all a matter of taste.

wholemeal bread 2 slices
white wine vinegar 4 tbsp
large ripe tomatoes 2, peeled, deseeded and chopped
capers 1 tbsp, drained, rinsed and chopped
flat-leaf parsley 3 tbsp
thyme leaves 2 tbsp, chopped
garlic clove 1, chopped
olive oil
Tuscan bread 12 slices, toasted or pan-fried, or polenta, to serve

■ Tear the wholemeal bread into pieces and put into a bowl. Pour in the vinegar and soak for 5 minutes. Drain and sgueeze out well. Transfer to a mortar or another bowl, add the tomatoes, capers, parsley, thyme, garlic, 3 tbsp of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Pound with a pestle or the end of a rolling pin to form a coarse mixture. Spread on slices of toasted bread or pan-fried polenta.

Crostini rossi alia Chinaligiana (Chianti-style red crostini)