Bruschetta and Crostini

Grilled bread, doused with olive oil, scented with raw garlic, finished with coarse salt—what can be better than bruschetta (or crostini)? Add toppings and you have a classic starter. Use thick slices of Italian-style bread—or one of the home-baked European -so that the outside gets crunchy while the inside stays moist.You can have this as a side dish for Thanksgiving Dinner.

8 thick slices rustic bread

Extra virgin olive oil as needed

1 to 4 cloves garlic, halved or crushed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Heat a gas or charcoal grill or a broiler to medium high heat and put the rack about 4 inches from the heat source. Brush both sides of the bread lightly with oil, then grill or broil until lightly browned on both sides.
• Rub one or both sides of the bread with garlic. Put the bread on a plate, then drizzle it with olive oil (a tablespoon or so per slice is not too much); sprinkle with salt and, if you like, pepper. Serve warm.
  Crostini.
  • Until recently, these Italian-style croutons were known in America as “toast points”: Cut the bread into thinner, smaller slices so you have 16 to 24. Brush them with oil and crisp them on a grill, under a broiler, or in a 400°F oven until golden on all sides. Rub them with garlic if you like and top them in any of the ways that follow.
    Bruschetta or Crostini with Parmesan.
    • For the broiler instead of the grill, this offers lots of bang for the buck: Omit the garlic, drizzle the bread with oil, and then sprinkle it with grated Parmesan; run under the broiler until the Parmesan just melts and serve immediately.
      Bruschetta or Crostini with Tomatoes and Basil.
      • With good tomatoes, there’s nothing better: Core about a pound of ripe tomatoes, squeeze most of the seeds out, and coarsely chop them. If you have time, put them in a strainer for a few minutes to drain the excess water.
      • When the bread is ready to cook, toss the tomatoes, about a cup of torn basil leaves, a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt together in a bowl. Top the bread with the mixture after rubbing the garlic on the bread in Step 2, sprinkle with pepper, and serve.
    • MAKES: 4 servings
    • TIME: About 20 minutes