Big Flavored Shrimp Bruschetta

Loaf bread warmed in oven topped with cheese. Shrimp mixture described below placed on top, top the mixture lightly with parmesan cheese. Cut to 4 inch lengths and serve with a crisp (not too sweet) white wine. A few of these and you won't need dinner on a hot summer day. It appears to be a difficult or lengthy recipe, but once you make it once or twice, you'll become a pro at replicating it at will. Enjoy a glass of wine while preparing. A lot of chopping involved, the compliments will more than make up for your effort. Be sure and set aside a small bowl for yourself or you may be asking yourself "what the heck, none for me" Special Note: You can use finely chopped celery bits, finely chopped radishes, chopped pimento filled olives for variations. It's up to you. Experiment with the amount of chili pepper that you use. You know your group better than anyone else. As with any recipe you can alter the amounts to suit your taste. Jalapeno chili pepper can substitute for the serrano chili pepper in this recipe.

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 8-11
• Yields: 8-11 pieces

Ingredients

• 8  medium tomatoes (prefer greenhouse on vine)
• 1  large Spanish onion
• 4  green onion stems (include bulb portion per stem)
• 1⁄2 cup fresh cilantro
• 1  teaspoon dried parsley
• 4  large garlic cloves
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 inch serrano chili pepper (fresh)
• 2  pinches ground pepper
• 1  pinch dried dill weed
• 1  pinch dried oregano
• 1⁄2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2  cups red wine vinegar
• 1  lb  medium sized  cooked shrimp, cut into 1/4 to 1/3 inch pieces. (remove tails of course)
• 1⁄4 cup  grated parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Chop tomatoes, onions, cilantro and serrano pepper. Mix the balance of ingredients with the exception of the shrimp and parmesan cheese in a large bowl. Marinate in the fridge a minimum of 4 hours, up to 6 hours maximum.
2. Crush the garlic and mince as finely as possible add to tomato mixture.
3. Fold the shrimp into the mixture 1-2 hours before use. Place bowl in fridge until ready to top the bread.
4. Use a 18-22 inch loaf of french / sour / italian baguette shaped bread (whatever your preference. Slice the entire loaf lengthwise.
5. Lightly spread butter or margarine on both halves, top lightly with sharp shredded cheddar cheese and bake for 8-10 minutes at 300 degrees.
6. Remove bread from oven, some edges should be baked crisply and the cheese should be entirely melted.
7. Top the two halves with the mixture and cut pieces up to 4 inches in length. Lightly sprinkle with fresh grated parmesan and serve.