Garlic French Bread Pizza

Well, I guess I better get started with these posts! I will try to do one a day for a while. We will see how this goes and I hope that you LOVE my collection of recipes. I will label them as best as I can so that you can find it again in a hurry! Mind you... my recipes are mostly not of my own making. They are usually good recipes that I have found and put my twist on it. I am NOT for inventing the wheel...there is no time for that in my house! So instead I will try recipes and put them on here if I like them with comments on how I made it better!
One of Jason's favorite things in the whole world is probably pizza. I mean who doesn't like a good warm pizza. How about we make it even better by putting it on a good piece of French Bread! Yummy! This recipe is one of our family favorites and it is a 30 minute meal! AWESOME! The french bread is super crispy and with a hint of garlic and Parmesan! You will have to try it soon!
**TIP** Cook's Country is one of my absolute favorite cook books. Cook's Country is actually a magazine that is published 6 times during a year, but at the end of the year they sell a book of all of the magazines from that year hard bound with an index! LOVE IT!

Garlic French Bread Pizza
Adapted from Oct/Nov 2007 Cook's Country Magazine French Bread Pizza

6  tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (If you can, get the glass bottled Kirkland brand from Costco...it's the best and I am a snob!)
4  garlic cloves, minced
4  tablespoons of fresh basil, divided ( I use dried basil if there is no fresh on hand...about 1-2 tablespoons)
Dried Oregano
Salt
1  loaf of French bread cut crosswise into 8 even pieces (not a baguette...the supermarket French bread)
1/2 cup  Parmesan cheese
1 cup  crushed tomatoes (from a can...I use Contadina or Hunts, freeze the rest for pizza in the future!)

Toppings (optional...pick what you like!):
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Pepperoni, cut into quarters (this allows you to spread the pepperoni out more, with less calories!)
Green Peppers (about 1/2 a green or red pepper) cut into small squares (freeze the rest for pizza later)
Olives, sliced (sometimes I saute them first in a little bit of oil)
Onions, diced (yellow or red)
Mushrooms, sliced

1. Adjust oven rack to the upper-middle position and turn your oven to 425*. Microwave oil with the garlic and 2 tablespoons of basil basil in a mug until fragrant...about 40 seconds.

2.  Brush half of oil over the bread (including the crust and edges of the bread) and arrange cut side up on a foil lined baking sheet. Sprinkle parmesean all evenly on the bread. Bake until cheese begins to brown, about 3-4 minutes.

3. Pull bread out of the oven and top all slices with a good spoon full of crushed tomatoes. Drizzle with remaining oil. Sprinkle remaining basil, salt and oregano. Add your toppings. Sprinkle lightly with mozzarella. Bake until cheese is melted, 5 to 7 minutes. Serve hot!

**These pizzas are great for left overs the next day! They freeze really well too!