Tomato Toast Revisited
One of the first recipes I posted on this blog was Pan con Tomate, a Spanish dish consisting of grilled ciabatta, garlic and crushed tomatoes. To this day, that Pan con Tomate is one of the most delicious recipes I've posted on my blog. It's so simple, yet so effective.
In this post, I wanted to revisit the tomato toast concept, but make it a little heartier than the classic Pan con Tomate. To do this, I replaced the ciabatta with seedy, crusty wheat bread and added a bit of cheese to the mix. These changes make the dish more filling and add a little more depth to the flavor.
The Pan con Tomate and the Tomato Toast Revisited may be similar in construction, but they scratch quite different itches. Pan con Tomate is what I want to eat for breakfast on a lazy Sunday, while Tomato Toast Revisited is what I want to eat for lunch on a busy summer day. These tomato toasts are equally delicious and both are very deserving of space on this blog.
Let me know what you think of the recipe and don't forget to follow the sustainability tips below!
Ingredients
1 small clove garlic
1 slice crusty seeded wheat bread
About 1 teaspoon olive oil
10 cherry tomatoes
Shaved asiago or parmesan cheese
Salt of choice
Methods
Cut the garlic clove in half. Rub the cut side of garlic on one side of the bread. Using a cooking brush or the back of a spoon, spread about one teaspoon of olive oil over the garlicky side of bread.
Place a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Put the bread in the skillet oil-side down. Let the bread sit for 1-2 minutes, or until it is toasted to your liking. Transfer the toasted bread to your serving plate and set aside.
Cut one cherry tomato in half. Then, rub and smash both tomato halves against the surface of the bread. This will infuse the bread with tomato juice, making it slightly soft and very flavorful. Discard the skin from the smashed tomato halves. Cut the remaining cherry tomatoes in half and arrange over the surface of the bread. Top with shaved asiago and salt to taste. Eat up!
Sustainability tips
Tomatoes and garlic: Your best option is to grow the tomatoes and garlic yourself, but local or organic veggies are another great option. Be sure to make this recipe during the summer or early fall, when tomatoes and garlic are in season. This way, your produce won't have to travel very far to get to you.
Cheese: Since cows contribute a lot to climate change, I like to buy my dairy products from B Corps, which are held to really high environmental and social standards. Alternatively, you could buy locally sourced or vegan cheese. Buying locally will help you get to know your local food producers, while buying vegan will cut out the cow pollution altogether.