Simple tomato appetizer doesn't need an exact recipe
A few weeks ago, I celebrated the arrival of tomato season with one of my favorite tomato sandwiches. I am still enjoying plenty of tomatoes from a few of my own plants and from friends sharing their tomato overload.
I've had numerous sandwiches since the first tomatoes arrived, but I'm also enjoying another favorite tomato dish that you can put together quickly. It’s one that my friend Debbie can’t get enough of when she visits.
This appetizer is simple and doesn't have an exact recipe, though I've provided a guideline here plus another recipes that it worked well with. It involves using chopped grape tomatoes or whatever tomatoes you have on hand, some good-quality olive oil and a few cloves of garlic pressed through a garlic press. It’s finished with a generous sprinkling of salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
That's it, but you can add fresh herbs like basil or oregano if you wish. Basil is my typical go-to because it’s always a part of my summer herb garden.
This dish is best tasted and then adjusted for seasoning. You should be able to taste all the ingredients without any one of them overpowering the others. Don’t overdo the garlic, no matter how much you like garlic. A good option to bring out the tomato flavor is adding a few pinches of sugar or a drizzling of balsamic glaze. I lean more toward the balsamic glaze (one of my favorite condiments to always have on hand) because it adds depth of flavor.
Though you can serve this right away, it gets better as it sits, which allows the flavors to meld and the tomatoes to release some juice. To serve, slice a baguette into quarter-inch pieces, brush with some olive oil and lightly toast under the broiler. When you remove the bread from the broiler, cut a garlic clove in half and rub the pieces with the cut side of the garlic. Top the pieces with the tomato mixture.
Here's a rundown of the ingredients and amounts. Mix them together and let them sit an hour or two before serving.
10 ounces cherry, grape or any tomatoes, chopped
¼ cup good-quality olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and pressed through a garlic press
1 teaspoon kosher salt or to your taste
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon balsamic glaze or sugar
3 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves
Another favorite way to use this tomato mixture is with this whipped feta and crostini appetizer recipe. Over the years I've adapted this recipe from Ina Garten, but the tomato topping from above has been my go to.
Crostini with whipped feta and tomatoes.
Whipped Feta and Tomatoes
Makes: 20 to 25 appetizers / Preparation time: 30 minutes / Total time: 45 minutes
6 ounces good-quality feta, crumbled
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup good olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Tomato mixture from above
20 to 25 (1/2-inch-thick) diagonal baguette slices, toasted
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, place the feta and cream cheese. Pulse until the cheeses are mixed. Add the olive oil, the lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and process until smooth.
To assemble the crostini, spread each slice of bread with a generous amount of whipped feta. Top with about 1 heaping teaspoon of the tomato mixture. Arrange on a serving platter.
Adapted from “Barefoot Contessa Foolproof” by Ina Garten (Clarkson Potter, $35).
Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: [email protected]. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter.
