I had purchased this beautiful heirloom tomato at the Farmer’s Market on Saturday and it took me until today to actually think of something to make using it- I didn’t want to cook it; although a fresh Tomato Basil Soup or Gazpacho would have been amazing. A fresh pasta sauce crossed my mind but this thing was 5″ across and GORGEOUS. I have been reading Michael Pollan’s latest book “Cooked” and last night was on the chapter about bread and it lit me up about the local artisan loaf I purchased the same day at the market…10% Rye Sourdough with Sesame. I had eaten a lot of it on Saturday so I sliced it and put it in the freezer. So I knew today was the day. Today was the tomato day. Variations on a theme, there is nothing like the basil, garlic, tomato trilogy; everything local and in season. I ate it as a series of open faced sandwiches, I say a series, because I grilled 4 slices and ate all 4 slices…..
For the tomatoes
Local, fresh, summer tomatoes, preferably heirloom, sliced
plenty of fresh basil
1 clove garlic, smashed and minced
fresh hot chili pepper
extra virgin olive oil
pink salt
black pepper
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for the bread
artisan loaf of bread
Extra virgin olive oil
garlic, smashed and minced
Heat up the grill or grill pan.
Prepare the bread:
Slice the bread into ¼-1/2” slices, how ever many slices you and friends will eat (2-3 per person or 4 if I am coming over)
In a small plate, add the garlic, olive oil. Lightly brush the bread slices with the oil and set aside.
Over high heat, place the bread on the grill or pan and close the grill or cover the pan. Let grill for about 3-4 minutes. The bread should easily flip and have gorgeous markings. Once flipped, continue to grill for another 3-4 minutes.
Serve immediately with the fresh tomato slices on top drizzled with more garlic olive oil, salt pepper and basil.
The Vegan Love Project 