JUDI’S RECIPES – WEEK 10 – AUGUST 7, 2018

August 7, 2018

Greetings All,

Oh swell. Another heatwave. We must do everything we can to keep cool. I know how! This week’s recipe is a cool tomato-on-toast dish. No cooking involved and, since tomatoes are at the peak of their season right now, it will be so delicious, you’ll forget about the heat for a few moments.

 

TOMATO TOASTS

Ingredients

  • or 4 ripe tomatoes
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes
  • 5 large slices hearty sourdough bread, about 1/2-inch thick(really, any crusty bread will do)
  • 5 garlic cloves, peeled
  • Salt and pepper
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Basil leaves, for garnish.
    1. Cut 2 tomatoes in half crosswise. Stand a box grater in a bowl and grate the tomato using the cut sides, through the large holes. You should have 1 cup or so of coarse tomato purée* Set aside. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half. **
    2. Toast the bread until brown and crisp.
    3. With your fingers, rub the top of each toast with a garlic clove. You will see the cloves get smaller as the garlic is  pushed into the bread. (For a less garlicky toast, press lightly when rubbing.)***
    4. Place toasts on plates. Spoon and spread a heaping tablespoon of tomato purée over each toast. Then arrange tomato slices and cherry tomatoes randomly on top.
    5. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper and a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil per toast. Garnish with whole or torn basil leaves.

    Tips

  • *If you don’t want to bother with grating tomatoes, rub the toasted bread first with garlic, then with 1 or 2 halved tomatoes, until top surface is quite juicy, then continue with the recipe (step 5).
  • **To halve cherry tomatoes, put them between the covers of two takeout containers. Hold your hand on top of the top cover and run a knife between the two covers. Voila – halved cherry tomatoes!
  • ***To get that garlic smell off your fingers, touch press them to anything made of stainless steel – a knife, a pot, anything.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. It really is a lifesaver on a hot, humid day.

Have a delicious week!

Best,

Judi