Ingredients

1. - 2 Medium to large, ripe, on-the-vine tomatoes
2. - 5-10 Large fresh basil leaves
3. - ¼ cup fresh, finely grated Romano cheese
4. - 1/8 cup of Olive Oil
5. - ¼ tsp. Garlic powder, or more to taste
6. - Salt (at least 1/8 tsp.) and Pepper to taste
7. - Makes about 1-1 ½ cups

Tools:

Very sharp knife
Cutting board
Serving Bowl

Serve with:

Toasted slices of your favorite crusty bread and Fresh mozzarella
Bagel Chips
Pita chips

Directions:

For the tomato mixture: In an appropriate sized serving bowl, combine chopped tomatoes (cut to about the size of a kidney bean), thinly julienned (ribbons) basil leaves, cheese, olive oil and seasonings and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit on counter for 1-3 hours, do not refrigerate.
If serving with bread: Set oven rack 6-7” away from oven ceiling, preheat oven to 425°. Cut bread diagonally into ½” thick slices. Place on baking sheet in a single layer and lightly brush them with olive oil. Bake until they start to color, about 5-10 minutes. Serve warm or cooled with tomato mixture on top or on the side.
If you are serving toasted bread with mozzarella: Immediately after removing bread from the oven, lay a single thin piece of cheese on top of the toast, followed by a small scoop of tomato mixture. Serve.