Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall counts the ways to enjoy this classic Italian treat. Use tomatoes at the peak of ripeness.
Pour boiling water over the tomatoes and remove them after 30 seconds. Peel them with a sharp knife and cut into quarters, scoop out the seeds with a thumbnail.
You are left with skinless, seedless, delectably sweet tomato flesh. This can be left in quarters (for a chunky, salady version) or more finely chopped (if you are tending towards the salsa). Either way, toss with the remaining ingredients and it is ready to serve.
For the bruschetta variations, grill slices of ciabatta or pugliese bread, rub with garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Mix the tomato salsa (chunky version) with a few chopped black olives, and/or a couple of chopped anchovies and/or a few torn fresh basil leaves. Pile on to the bread and serve as a starter, either on its own or with other antipasti.
